100 Drabbles In The World Of Percy Jackson
by booklover98
Summary: So this is a 100 one-shots/ drabbles all with very little to no relation to any of the others. Laughs and tears are for sure. Only characters from Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Various pairings. Chapter 100: Laughter filled wind, showing even the king's approval.
1. Introduction

**Me: So about two years ago, I found**** this challenge on the profile of an amazing author, ThreeBulletsAtTheDangerParade. **

**I thought it would be a great challenge for me (someone who at that time had problems with completing stories), so I tried it. **

**At the beginning of every chapter, I give a small summary of what the chapter will have, and at the end I give you the next chapter's title. But just in case you want to see all of them in one place, you can scroll down.**

_**1. Introduction: **_**It isn't easy being introduced to the world of demigods.**

_**2. Love: **_**Percy isn't the only oblivious one in Percabeth.**

_**3. Light: **_**You didn't honestly think it could last forever, did you?**

_**4. Dark: **_**Never mess with the King of Ghost.**

_**5. Seeking Solace: **_**Not even he could fight all her battles.**

_**6. Break Away: **_**As if a jealous human could ever understand.**

_**7. Heaven: **_**He would wait forever if that's what it took.**

_**8. Innocence: **_**Is anyone truly innocent?**

_**9. Drive: **_**We all have our excuses.**

_**10. Breathe Again: **_**Breathing suddenly isn't so easy.**

_**11. Memory: **_**Here's what's left of a forgotten memory.**

_**12. Insanity: **_**Maybe he should get a new motto...**

_**13. Misfortune: **_**Can you say "Stalkers"?**

_**14. Smile: **_**Smile guys. It's Percabeth.**

_**15. Silence: **_**Wedding bells may ring, but that isn't always a good thing.**

_**16. Questioning: **_**Some questions were sharper than knives.**

_**17. Blood: **_**A little blood never hurt anyone.**

_**18. Rainbow: **_**It isn't easy being the goddess of rainbows.**

_**19. Gray: **_**Maybe the future wasn't so gray after all.**

_**20. Fortitude: **_**Percy simply defines fortitude.**

_**21. Vacation: **_**A double-edged sword.**

_**22. Mother Nature: **_**Mother Nature didn't always hate the gods.**

_**23. Cat: **_**Many gods were injured in the making of this chapter.**

_**24. No Time: **_**She never really did get her happily ever after.**

_**25. Trouble Lurking: **_**Why should she worry when he was right there?**

_**26. Tears: **_**Pointless things, tears.**

_**27. Foreign: **_**Foreign accents are sexy.**

_**28. Sorrow:**_** Goodbye means losing. And gods don't lose.**

_**29. Happiness: **_**The Sun, the Moon, and Coffee.**

_**30. Under the Rain: **_**She never thought she would see him like this.**

_**31. Flowers: **_**A petal for your thoughts.**

_**32. Night: **_**Note to self: Trees and night don't mix.**

_**33. Expectations: **_**Crushing expectations.**

_**34. Stars: **_**Wish upon a falling star...**

_**35. Hold My Hand: **_**He would always be there for her.**

_**36. Precious Treasure: **_**Forever his treasure.**

_**37. Eyes: **_**They say that eyes are windows to the soul.**

_**38. Abandoned: **_**THE BUNNY OF DOOM!**

_**39. Dreams: **_**Dreams? More like nightmares.**

_**40. Rated: **_**She was always a ten to him.**

_**41. Teamwork: **_**They simply worked better as a team.**

_**42. Standing Still: **_**She just _stood_ there.**

_**43. Dying: **_**Friends 'til the end. Right?**

_**44. Two Roads: **_**As if he even had a chance.**

_**45. Illusion: **_**It was an illusion, this world.**

_**46. Family: **_**Because you can never give up on your family.**

_**47. Creation: **_**Screw being polite.**

_**48. Childhood: **_**From first breath, to the college application.**

_**49. Stripes: **_**He understood her like no one else did.**

_**50. Breaking the Rules: **_**There are consequences for every action.**

_**51. Sport: **_**Give me a T-R-A-T-I-E! Go TRATIE!**

_**52. Deep in Thought: **_**Go ahead and mention the giant fork. That'll break the ice.**

_**53. Keeping a Secret: **_**Secrets can be deadly.**

_**54. Tower: **_**Since when is it the guy who needs saving?**

_**55. Waiting: **_**Waiting can be a blessing in disguise... or the worst kind of curse.**

_**56. Danger Ahead: **_**Danger? Ha. Not with her around.**

_**57. Sacrifice: **_**Watching others sacrifice their pride was... amusing.**

_**58. Kick in the Head: **_**King and Queen torn apart.**

_**59. No Way Out: **_**There was no way out and you were going to die living a nightmare.**

_**60. Rejection: **_**Rejection hurts.**

_**61. Fairy Tale: **_**The stories of life.**

_**62. Magic: **_**Just like magic.**

_**63. Do Not Disturb: **_**Daddy's little princess.**

_**64. Multitasking: **_**Multitasking your life away.**

_**65. Horror: **_**Three strikes, your out.**

_**66. Traps: **_**Prince. Psh. He was a moron, not a prince.**

_**67. Playing the Melody: **_**Playing the melody of his heart.**

_**68. Hero: **_**The depths of which I missed you, you kelp brain idiot.**

_**69. Annoyance-: What **_**is _with_ you and freaking flower balloons?!**

_**70. 67%: **_**Progress was progress, okay?**

_**71. Obsession: **_**Don't you just hate it when your past comes back to haunt you?**

_**72. Mischief Managed: **_**Camp Half-Blood would never know what hit it.**

_**73. I Can't: **_**Gods gift from above.**

_**74. Are You Challenging Me?: **_**If the world turned on it's head...**

_**75. Mirror: **_**Its just a mirror image.**

_**76. Broken Pieces: **_**In memory of a beloved hero.**

_**77. Test: **_**Foolishness previously untested.**

_**78. Drink: **_**To drink life's troubles away.**

_**79. Starvation: **_**To a time before the spin-off...**

_**80. Words: **_**To heal those broken is a heavy feat.**

_**81. Pen and Paper: **_**A letter to a genius.**

_**82. Can You Hear Me?: **_**Calling out to a world that no longer cares.**

_**83. Heal: **_**A term of only three definitions.**

_**84. Out Cold: **_**You were going to show them all.**

_**85. Spiral: **_**The only shining light in your silent spiral.**

_**86. Seeing Red: **_**Betrayal of the harshest kind.**

_**87. Food: **_**Who would have thought it started with food?**

_**88. Pain: **_**Difference spawns Fear. Fear invokes Hate. Hate nurse Pain.**

_**89. Through the Fire: **_**Even the best can make mistakes.**

_**90. Triangle: **_**Perfectly awkward.**

_**91. Drowning: **_**You always did hate bridges.**

_**92. All That I Have: **_**You just can't accept that he's gone.**

_**93. Give Up: **_**Boys and their video games.**

_**94. Last Hope: **_**God of the gentle deaths.**

_**95. Advertisement: **_**Well this was unexpected...**

_**96. In the Storm: **_**A story told in reverse.**

_**97. Safety First: **_**A tale of Fate, perhaps?**

_**98. Puzzle: **_**In a world where everything isn't so picture perfect.**

_**99. Solitude: **_**You are capable of so much more.**

_**100. Relaxation: **_**Laughter filled wind showing even the king's approval.**

**Me: I personally believe that this story has let me grow as an author. It wasn't always easy, and the updates were sporadic at best, but I did accomplished what I set out to do. I think every author should try something similar at least once, just to see how much they improve their writing skill as time goes on.**

**This is: Introduction**

**I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

**Thalia**

**Summary preview: It was never easy being introduced to a camp full of demigods.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

"Thalia."

I knew that name. Didn't I? Thalia. It was important to me once.

My mind tossed it aside as something unimportant as new feelings started overloading it.

I could _see._ I could _feel_ the grass beneath me. I could _smell_ the late summer air. I could _hear_ the whispers of dozens of humans crowding around me.

Wait. Not human. Not if they were from the camp. I tilted my head up to see a familiar face staring back at me.

She was taller than I remembered, but I knew her. Probably better than I knew myself at the moment.

"Annabeth." The name felt comfortable on my tongue. I smiled. The smile I received back was blinding.

"Thalia" she repeated and the name finally clicked. Thalia was _my_ name.

A man whose body was half horse walked towards me. He held his hand out. I took the offer and let him help me off the ground.

"And introduction is needed! Would you do the honors, Percy?" he asked. A boy jumped as if startled and shot me a hesitant smile the next second.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Thalia." The whispers grew louder as he shared a look with Annabeth and chuckled. "I can promise you it's never boring."

I took in his appearance, his obvious friendship with Annabeth, and nodded tightly. I could take his word for this at least.

I turned around and face the entrance to camp.

Taking a deep breath, I walked forwards.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: Thoughts? This whole story is currently undergoing editing. I apologize in advance for any problems that may cause.**

**Next Chapter: Love**

**~ Anna/Booklover98**


	2. Love

**Me: The beginning of the editing. Are you guys excited?**

**This is: Love**

**Annabeth, Percy**

**I most certainly don't have the fortune of owning Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **

**Summary Preview: Percy isn't the only oblivious one in Percabeth.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Annabeth was never very good at denying what her mind insisted was fact. Her mind could quickly recognize why her eyes often trailed off to catch a glimpse of blue-black hair and utterly focused eyes. The way her stomach felt like it got punched with adrenalin butterflies when he sought her out. But just because er mind was matching up the reactions with a certain emotion did not mean that she had to admit it. To herself or out loud.

Perhaps the nickname Wise Girl did not always apply. But to be fair, the rather insulting nickname of Seaweed Brain did not always apply to Percy. Especially as of late with all the war planning going on. Taking up the post of a battle strategist was Percy's new goal, despite a looming prophecy.

But that was Percy for you.

Not the coward she had accused him of being by any means. And to be fair, Annabeth hadn't really meant the dig. But Percy just had to go and live up to his nickname, bring up the two people she least wanted to discuss. And then, of course, he had decided to just disappear with nothing but a cryptic message left to explain anything.

Idiot.

Annabeth quietly sighed to herself with a fond smile as she once again glanced back at her best friend. Putting all thoughts of Rachel and Luke aside, she turned back towards her group, away from the boy she had fallen so in love with.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Light**

**~ Anna/Booklover98**


	3. Light

**Me: The editing continues! Le gasp! (I'm a giant nerd, I know.)**

**This is: Light**

**Apollo**

**I seriously don't own Percy Jackson or any of associated characters.**

**Summary preview: You honestly didn't think it could last forever, did you?**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Apollo's smile rose with the sun. Even as he willed the sun to rise, the gradually lightening sky set his mind at ease. After centuries of habit the familiar motion continued to affect him.

Apollo wondered if this was how Percy Jackson felt, watching a promise from gods being kept. A sense of knowing that you were helping others greatly. But there was something beginning to prod at his mind. A little nagging sense of... Apollo's thoughts were abruptly disrupted when he felt the approaching form of Athena.

He turned, giving her his best smile. "Yes, sister dear?"

"Apollo-" was all he heard before what had been a nagging sensation exploded into a full on vision.

_The whole world was made of light. Flames lit up everything. Animals, homes, plants, people - all of them burning. An echoing laugh filled the air. _Before Apollo had a chance to recognize anything past the scenery, the vision switched to a different location. _There were gods- by Zeus there were _so many_ gods. United in fighting what Apollo could only guess was a Primordial. She glowed, but in a different way than the flames. Her's was an eerie moonlight glow of lost planets and dying stars. But what concerned him the most was the image of his sister falling. Falling and falling and no one even spared her a glance. Artemis' body became just another lifeless body bleeding out ichor as she slowly died. Moments later she disappeared and the moon was swallowed by the sky._

"Artemis!" he couldn't help but scream the image of her lifeless body burned into his mind.

"Apollo! Apollo it's fine! She is fine! Your sister hasn't died!" Athena countered her face contorted into horror.

A shuddering breath made its way through his body. The images were already disappearing. "What did I say, Athena? No, don't just stare at me like that. _What did I say_?"

Athena pressed her lips together. "I believe you just predicted the fall of the Golden Age."

Apollo shuddered once more before nodding. "Come. We must speak to Zeus. Immediately."

Suddenly the act of rising the sun didn't seem nearly as calming.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Dark**

**~ Anna/Booklover98**


	4. Dark

**Me: I'm on a roll. You can't stop this.**

**This is: Dark**

**Nico**

**Percy Jackson and his friends/enemies/relatives are not mine.**

**Summary preview: Never mess with the King of Ghost.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Darkness is feared in almost every culture known to man. Nico honestly did not understand what was so terrifying about it. So there was those formative years before he met his dad. But after spending _quite_ a_ lot _of time in the dark, he like to think it was a pretty awesome thing to be a part of.

Turning his attention towards the Apollo Cabin, a light smirk tugged at his lips. The poor innocent sheep had no idea what they had brought upon themselves by provoking the wrath of the King of the Dead's son.

The camp like to support the idea that Capture the Flag was a fun, relaxing, relatively safe game. The actual residents knew better than to believe the propaganda. Especially with the recent pranking of other cabins that had no doubt originated near the Stoll brother's influence. The camp had been turned into a war-zone.

In a polite, you-probably-won't-actually-die kind of way.

To be honest, the prank war had likely begun with The List (originated for the sole purpose of annoying a certain Percy Jackson). And when the first victim had been Percy himself, well. It had been a wonderful event to watch unfold. Unfortunately it had all gone downhill from there.

Nico had prided himself on staying out of the entire fiasco until that infernal cabin of Apollo's spawn dragged him into it with petty insults and _completely false statements about his person._

Nico had held his ground fairly well consider there was one of him and many more of the spawn. As chance had it, there was a Capture the Flag game being held with the two cabins on different sides. It was the perfect time to take revenge against the Apollo Cabin for dying his jeans pink and his hair a similar shade.

Percy had helped them (for reasons Nico did not want to consider), but Percy was one man and could be dealt with at a later time.

Nico had been given the position of a distraction. Watching the oncoming cabins (but primarily the Spawn Cabin), Nico took a breath and let loose a trick Bianca had taught him.

A thick blackness spread out into the area before him. Shouts went up, only increasing as he opened a hole just large enough to hold all the opposing members.

Within fifteen minutes the cries of victory were heard from Nico's team. He allowed the darkness to dissolve and gently moved the ground back to its original position. Then he was off to celebrate with his team.

But not without shoot a satisfied smirk behind him at the scowling cabins.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**I personally like to think of Nico as a vindictive little douche bag when he wants to be.**

**Next chapter: Seeking Solace**

**~ Anna/Booklover98**


	5. Seeking Solace

**Me: Ah the plot bunny that started it all. A forewarning now: this will be part of a mini-series as the story goes on.**

**This is: Seeking Solace**

**Percy, Rachel, Annabeth**

**I most certainly do not own Greek Gods nor their children.**

**Summary preview: Not even he could fight all of her battles.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

_Ten minutes. _Percy had left for _ten minutes _to go buy _flowers._ Simply because he had noticed the others were looking worn and he disliked the idea of death being present anywhere in that room.

And what had it cost him? Missing out on the last moment's of his wife's life. Oh sure, he had given her a kiss and a promise to be back soon, but what did that matter when by the time he had gotten back the room was in a flurry of panic and despair and that horrible monotone beep and- no. No.

This wasn't happening, it couldn't be happening. For surely his heart would stop too, and perhaps that was the most damning evidence as he couldn't tell. The panicked nurses were fleeing from the room with static following them in their wake and Percy just stood there in a limbo.

Hearing Thalia's screeches finally brought him out of it. "No, stop it, _fix this_. She's my best friend you can't just- No!"

Percy found himself standing in her room, surrounded by sorrowful doctors as he stared at Annabeth's exhausted expression.

The cancer had been a terrible one and selfishly Percy had felt irrational anger that Annabeth had gone and got herself killed by something he couldn't fight.

It wasn't _fair._ She had been doing _so much better_ and the doctors themselves were pleased with her progress and she couldn't just _be gone_.

Annabeth Jackson couldn't be dead. Not after everything they had faced and survived. Not to this.

He would never recall leaving the hospital or the drive home, but he did remember Thalia helping him inside his house, only to turn her back and leave. He vividly recalled the fit he had thrown, tossing things at the walls, screaming at the gods, even going so far as to threaten Apollo's life. He remembered the grief finally settling in as he broke down.

Not long after, fiery red hair and emerald eyes clouded over with grief found him.

"I'm so very sorry, Percy." Rachel told him wrapping her arms around him. Percy clung to her because he was seeking solace and while Rachel wouldn't understand completely, she was _there_ and that meant so much to him.

"I didn't think to tell her I loved her. She had told me, but I was already out the door and I just assumed.. She had been doing so well. Oh gods, Rachel, I didn't tell Annabeth I loved her before she died. Oh gods oh gods oh gods." Rachel didn't say anything else, just held him and made sympathetic noises after a while.

After the tears had stopped and all that was left was a deep-set numbness, Percy set up a place for Rachel on his couch before slipping off to his room, to at least give the pretense of sleeping. As he laid there, staring at his ceiling, Percy was struck by the bitter irony of the situation.

Years ago, Annabeth had made him promise to never leave her. Percy had never thought to make her do the same.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Breaking Away**

**~ Anna/Booklover98**


	6. Breaking Away

**Me: Day two of editing. Oh yes. And thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome.**

**This is: Breaking Away**

**Annabeth**

**Summary preview: As if a jealous mortal could ever understand.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

The day was not starting off as a good one.

Waking up late, a silent breakfast with my father, and a pile of chores along with my work. Not to mention the freezing shower I had taken because _someone_ had felt the need to use every last drop of cold water and not notify me. It was understandable that something would set me off, and if that something just happened to be my stepmother, well. It wasn't a surprise by any means.

"You are a _child,_ Annabeth! As if you could _ever_ understand how life actually works! As if you could even begin to comprehend what your father and I have been through to make this marriage work!" she raged at me, spit flying from her lips at points.

I scoffed. "A child? A _child?_ Would a child know what it was like to be the cause of agony for her friends? To know that the one person who keeps her together will likely die before ever reaching seventeen? I _highly_ doubt it. And don't even start with me on you and Dad. I know what it is like to feel the utter betrayal of someone you would have trusted with your life. Whatever your believe your problems are, they are nothing compared to mine, you jealous _mortal!"_ I fought back, fury lacing my words.

Her face softened and filled with pity. I scowled at her, the expression only making me angrier.

I didn't need her pity and I definitely didn't want it.

"Annabeth I know, as we have just seen, that we don't get along very well, but if you need some help-"

"Oh, as if I would ever accept help from someone like _you!_ I don't need it. I don't _want_ your help." I informed her, my voice low. Breaking away from the argument, I pushed past her and out the front door. I refused to give her the satisfaction of looking back to see her expression.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Heaven**

**~ Anna/Booklover98**


	7. Heaven

**Me: So the streak didn't last. But still I push on.**

**This is: Heaven**

**Beckendorf**

**Summary preview: He would wait forever, if that's what it took.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

There were three things Charles knew with certainty.

Charles rationally knew that had he converted to Christianity like his aunt had so desperately wanted, he would have viewed this limbo as a heaven of sorts. Nico had come by earlier that week (month? The Underworld's flow of time was slow and unchanging) and explained how it shifted to fit the preconceived beliefs of others.

Charles was also aware that he had recently died heroically in his third life and fully qualified for the Isle of the Blest. But what paradise could possibly compare to the knowledge that Silena would eventually (he hoped for it to be both soon and decades later) be looking for him here?

And finally Charles was certain that he would wait for all of eternity if that was what it took to see her again.

A startled _"Beckendorf?"_ caught his attention. Charles turned in time to see Michael Yew stumble towards him. "Oh gods, it's you. It's great to see you again."

Charles smiled. "Same here, Yew. Are you doing alright? Aside from the part where we are in the Underworld."

Michael sighed. "Yeah. It's a lot to get used too. But I'm definitely doing better than the guys topside are." Michael's face turned grave. "There are far too many problems going on up there. Namely a dying Annabeth."

_"What?"_ Charles demanded. Michael nodded slowly. "Oh yeah. Poisoned dagger. It's up to the gods on whether or not she'll make it. Percy's one small shock from having a meltdown. On the plus side, if Annabeth does happen to die and Percy just goes crazy without the one person who has kept him sane through this, the Hunters are on our side. But even with Thalia this war will be so close."

Michael shook his head again and sighed. "I just- I can't deal with this not knowing. I think I'm going to take the reborn path. At least that way I can be certain that in some way I'll know how it all ended."

"Thank you for the update, Michael. Good luck with the rebirth." Charles sincerely wished him.

Michael gave him a strange side glance. "Shouldn't you be in the Fields or the Isle or something?"

Charles just smiled back at him. "I'm waiting for someone. Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing." Charles spared Michael a wave before returning his attention to the path that Charon usually took.

One day Silena would be the soul on that boat. All he had to do was wait.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Innocent**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	8. Innocent

**Me: The reviews are fantastic guys. Thanks a ton.**

**This is: Innocent**

**Maria**

**Summary preview: Is anyone truly innocent?**

**-100DIWPJ-**

I smiled as I watched my children run towards the ocean, excitement filling their eyes. A sudden pressure on the hand enclosing mine, made me glance up towards Hades face. He was a sickly shallow color, gazing at the ocean as though it would come alive and devour both our children and ourselves. I placed a soft kiss on his hand, turning his attention away from the ocean. I knew that being so close to the ocean was uncomfortable for him, but I strongly believed in allowing my children to have as much freedom as was possible.

And what better time to introduce them to something so dangerous than when they had no idea it was forbidden?

The waves slowed, as though Poseidon had already discovered their parentage. A wave large enough to sweep them out to sea began to form in the distance. Hades sucked in a sharp breath, tugging at my hand. I held him in place.

"No, wait. Watch." I whispered. The wave that had once been so large seemed to dissipate the closer it got to the children. It was no more than a mere splash by the time it reached them. Nico laughed as the water sprayed him.

"He wouldn't harm them. He understand that they are just children. They are no real threat to him."

Hades huffed. "More likely he realized that by killing them off he would be doing Zeus' bidding for him. His pride couldn't take that. Maria, I know you don't enjoy the Underworld but the children are in danger. Zeus won't wait too much longer before making his move, especially now that he knows Poseidon won't do it for him."

I sighed, frustrated with the usual "World not safe. Underworld safe." speech, I had be a recipient of so many times now. Hades would never understand my side. To him the Underworld was the safest place in any world. But to children? To _our_ children? No. Never.

Bianca and Nico are far too innocent to be exposed to the cruelty of the Furies, the Fields of Punishment, or any other stray monster roaming around. Not to mention the five _highly dangerous_ rivers that flowed through the entire place.

I couldn't be everywhere at once and every child was curious by nature. What would happen when neither of us were around? What if Persephone found them? No. As long as I was alive I would try to spare them that future. To keep the innocent shine in their eyes.

I could never take that away from them. I would die first.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Drive**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	9. Drive

**Me: This chapter was horrendous and I don't know what I was thinking while writing it the first time. Therefore, I tried to stick with the original as much as possible. But some major editing has occurred.**

**This is: Drive**

**Luke**

**Summary preview: We all have our excuses.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Luke had always understood the necessity of his actions. He understood the precautions he had to take to force himself not to think of his enemies as former friends but as traitors to his cause. As fools with their undying believe in gods that would never save them.

A dark chuckle entered his thoughts and Luke uneasily allowed it. The Achilles Curse had made him invulnerable, but allowing his body to be Kronos' host had robbed him of all action but thought. The longer Kronos was around, the more influenced his thoughts had become.

But both were in complete agreement of incredibly when Percy Jackson started using the gods' personal thrones as props. Luke turned his attention inwards as it soon became clear that he could do nothing to change the upcoming events.

Then Annabeth spoke up. About his mother, of all people. A rush of fury had him overcoming even Kronos' control. "Service to Kronos!" he declared, for what else was there? If he had once doubted his cause in his weaker moments, well. It was too late to turn back now.

And then she threw a promise he had made to her so many years ago. A promise of family when his only family had been her and Thalia.

"Promised." Luke mused. The haze of anger cleared long enough to really _look_ at her. She was injured. Annabeth was injured and looking at him like he could fix everything. Just like she had after every monster attack when they were kids. Oh gods she was injured and it was his fault.

Pushing the indignant roaring of Kronos back into the corners of his mind, Luke gasped and stumbled towards her.

"Annabeth. You're bleeding." and suddenly Jackson was there. The sight of him had Kronos pushing back into control. But the sight of Annabeth had Luke fighting back with just as much force. He wouldn't let Kronos get away with hurting her.

Never Annabeth. Reaching out for precious moments he pleaded to Jackson to just _finish_ it already. But of course, he wouldn't know how, would he? Realizing what was happening, Kronos roared and attacked every weak point, every sensitive subject. His arms felt like they were burning. The approaching form of Jackson just made Kronos attack all the more.

Self preservation wouldn't allow Kronos to die quietly, but maybe if Luke was the one to end it? Luke haltingly explained his theory to Percy just as Kronos finally decided Luke was a lost cause and began the process of leaving Luke's body. The burning spread and intensified all across his body.

But that was nothing compared to the agony of Annabeth's blade piercing through his only liable point. The world slowly pieced itself back together. He was dying. He was dying in a room full of people who days before he had hated.

But not now. Now was his last chance to make anything right. Banter with Annabeth, praising of the satyr that had only tried to help him. Studying Jackson, all the reasons for this entire campaign came back.

"Don't... don't let it happen again." If anyone could accomplish it, it would be Percy Jackson.

Jackson gazed back at him for a moment before replying "I won't. I promise."

Accepting the promise, Luke relaxed as the rest of his energy fled.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts? I didn't add much dialogue as this was basically a retelling of the scene from Luke's POV. We all know how this went down.**

**Next chapter: Breathe Again**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	10. Breathe Again

**Me: Part 2 of Seeking Solace. Reviews are as wonderful as ever, guys. You rock.**

**This is: Breathe Again**

**Summary preview: Suddenly it isn't so easy to breathe.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Days after Rachel had left, Percy was still unresponsive. Rachel had tried everything she could think of but after her sixth failed attempt to get Percy to eat she threw a pancake at him. Percy didn't even blink. Her temper flared.

"Annabeth is dead, and here you are utterly disgracing her memory! She never wanted you to follow her in death, Percy! Get a grip already!" Rachel screamed. Percy's eyes snapped from dazed to razor-sharp. Ah, there was the dangerous Percy.

"Excuse me?" Percy's tone was low. Rachel's temper died out and she spared him a sheepish smile.

"Just trying to get through to you. Percy, you do realize that your children haven't seen you in nearly a week, right?" as she talked the sharp focused faded.

"Who?"

Her heart clenched. He hadn't actually forgotten... right? No. _No._ She wouldn't let him forget.

"Your children, Percy. Kirsten and Kayden. Twins." she informed him, voice hard as she watched him become less confused and more dazed. "Percy Jackson! This is the Oracle of Apollo demanding you to snap out of it! Your children need you and Sally can't take care of them forever!"

Percy laughed. A high-pitched, hysterical laugh. "No. You don't get to talk to me about my life when your patron god could have prevented all of this!"

"Oh Percy," Rachel sympathized. "The gods can't interfere with mortal matters. You know that."

A furious expression crossed his face and Rachel wondered if he was about to kick her out. But the expression passed, leaving her with an exhausted and grief-stricken Percy.

"We miss you."

"You shouldn't." he replied. Percy stood, running a hand through his hair. "Gods, I'm not ready to face the twins." he said shaking his head. I stood as well, and grabbed his keys.

"But they need you. Now more than ever."

Percy looked at the keys in my hand and sighed. "I guess they do. And I suppose you aren't going to let me drive, either." I shook my head and he sighed again. "Right. Come on then. Maybe if I get out of this apartment I can breathe again for a little while."

As we left, I prayed that his children could help him if nothing else.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Memory**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	11. Memory

**Me: The editing marches on. (At a rather sedated pace. Apologies.)**

**This is: Memory**

**Thalia**

**Summary preview: Here is what's left of a forgotten memory.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Long after the memories of Nico, of her pseudo-sister Annabeth, and even her younger brother faded, the name of Percy Jackson persisted.

Unfortunately, it was just that. A meaningless name of an unknown face.

Although even the remembrance of the name is a feat in itself. Only the newest of recruits ever dared to speak him name, and then only when Lady Artemis is away. None would risk her wrath at their semi-betrayal to their oaths.

But even with tales of the long departed demigod and the vague references to his companions (of which some even remembered that she was once part of), Thalia could not help but feel that someone was missing.

But any name aside from Perseus Jackson had been slowly erased from history. When the time came for her stay with the Hunters to end, Thalia had put aside the search completely.

She said her farewells before taking the hand of the man who had captured her heart. Guilt tugged at her, watching her Lady's face fall, but it was time she _lived_ again.

Perhaps one day she might even regain the memories.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Insanity**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	12. Insanity

**This is: Insanity**

**Percy, Athena**

**Summary preview: Maybe he should get a new motto...**

**-100DIWPJ-**

As I walked through the palace halls, I did my best to block out the traitorous thoughts spinning through my mind (_she died, you failed_).

I leaned back against a pillar and groaned (_dead, dead, dead, Wise Girl no more, dead_).

"One day it'll hurt less." I whispered aloud instead, hoping to change the tide of my thoughts. When nothing changed (_monster, monster, just like every other god_) I released a sigh. Athena had often been quoted as saying that insanity is repeating actions over and over and expecting a change. Repeating the motto every time something like this happened (_better off without you, no friends, not anymore, who could love a monster_) even though I knew it wouldn't work likely fit into that category.

But it was one of the few things I had left.

After being granted godhood, Zeus had immediately given me the title of the god of Heroes. Accepting the position wasn't the hard part. Aside from what one might think, it wasn't a simple job by far and when my thoughts weren't consumed with Annabeth (_failure, failure, dead, monster_), they became focused on keeping people alive.

I heard someone cough delicately and turned my head towards the sound. Of all people, Lady Athena stood solemnly to my left. I pulled myself off the wall and gave her a polite bow.

"Lady Athena," I muttered, doing my best to avoid her gaze. "Whatever brought you to this side of the palace?" I had especially chosen this space for the knowledge that it was as far away as I could get from the throne room.

"Lord Perseus." she returned. "I've been searching for you." Surprised surpassed caution and I glanced up at her. The stormy gray of her eyes was just as painful as I had guess (_not Wise Girl, never Wise Girl, you drool when you sleep, shallow screams_). I restrained a gasp as I broke eye contact.

"May I ask why?" Athena gave no indication that she heard the waver in my voice and for that I was thankful.

Athena's smile was not kind when she gave it, but it wasn't angry either. "You avenged my daughter's death when I could not. For that I wished to repay you."

Grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at her, she continued. "You could not have prevented her death, Perseus. You were no god then and even if you had been you would _not_ have been able to interfere with mortal affairs. This grief that hangs off you and reeks of guilt and despair is not going to bring Annabeth back. _Nothing_ will bring her back and it is time that you accept that. No part in her death was in any way your fault. You are teetering on the edge of insanity and your father will not be pleased with any of us if we are forced to remove you before you become a danger not only to yourself but to those around you."

Athena let go of my face and took a step back. "Unhappiness is caused by refusing to let go of the things that hurt you. Perhaps instead of tainting every memory of her with her death, you could focus on those times when you weren't a complete idiot in her presence." She cleared her throat and looked away. "I do believe my debt has been fulfilled. Good day, Lord Perseus." And with those parting words, Athena vanished.

I took a deep breath (_dead, sorry, gods so sorry, not your fault Seaweed Brain_), and processed Athena's words. As the words settled a part of myself that had been in dismay for the past month seemed to calm and begin to piece itself back together.

It wasn't anything major (_best friend, gorgeous laugh, failed, no, sorry, knowing smirk_) but it was something and I knew eventually it could heal.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Misfortune**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	13. Misfortune

**Me: Reviews are as epic as ever. ^_^**

**This is: Misfortune**

**Athena, Apollo**

**Summary preview: Can you say "Stalkers"?**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Apollo and Athena gazed down at the sleeping infant. The pure innocence that radiated off the boy had even Athena questioning whether this could possibly be the child that could one day end the Golden Age.

But even with the boy as young as he was, there could be no question towards the boys parentage. Athena could easily see the way his face would thin and tan until he was no more than an almost exact copy of Poseidon.

"A misfortune he was born," Apollo mused. "Kids of the Big Three have the _worst_ luck, with how they usually end up dead in a rather horrific way, and I highly doubt that this little guy is going to change that."

"You can never be certain. Was he not named after a fairly successful hero? Perseus could end up dying of old age." Athena countered.

Apollo gave her a look of sorrow. "For all that I've seen his future, the Fates are not kind to him. Even the most trivial of things seemed aimed at utterly destroying him, never mind the Great Prophecy." Suddenly Apollo brightened. "And that is a story- or stories, I should say- better left for another day. Come along, Athena. The mother is approaching and I don't think she would take too kindly towards strange figures stalking her child."

Athena rolled her eyes at Apollo's theatrics but quietly followed him.

Athena felt slightly guilty for days afterwords, as if by her simple knowledge of knowing that the boy was likely doomed he would be. But even she knew when she was being irrational and pushed the thoughts away.

These thought would later taint her view of the boy, years later.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Smile**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	14. Smile

**This is: Smile**

**Percy, Annabeth**

**Summary preview: Smile guys. It's Percabeth.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Percy was completely aware of his addiction to Annabeth's (rather perfect, in his opinion) smile. Although, there was a chance that it wasn't _just_ the smile he was addicted to. There were other things that accompanied the smile, like lit up eyes or the energy she gained when talking about things she loved.

She just looked so incredibly happy. It was so far past worth it to learn a ton of obscure facts about architecture just to see her smile like that.

He would do anything to keep her smiling.

-100DIWPJ-

Annabeth knew from the moment she first saw Percy smiling that she would do just about anything to keep him that way.

Teasing, joking, even talking about utterly boring subject just to see the stress leave and the easy smile return. She loved the way his smile instantly lifted her mood and if the source behind it had been her, all the better.

She would do anything to keep him smiling.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Silence**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	15. Silence

**This is: Silence**

**Annabeth**

**Summary preview: Wedding bells may ring, but that isn't always a good thing.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

On the 14 of June, in a church she had only stepped into twice in her entire life, there was complete silence. At the end of the decorative aisle was Percy, mostly relaxed with a sheepish smile on his face.

By the gods, it was a beautiful smile.

Annabeth glided down to the end of the aisle, stopped carefully at the end, smiling slightly at Percy.

Then she took her place as the Maid of Honor.

The wedding march began as Nicole Anders -soon to be Jackson- took her father's arm and started the trek down the aisle, looking nothing more than serene.

It was easy to find reasons as to why Percy loved her. Beautiful in a quaint way, talented with all types of technology, a shared sense of humor, and she had the Sight. It had made their relationship last and as time went on, Percy had fallen in love with her.

As she hadn't talked to Percy since she was twenty, this was all secondhand knowledge from Rachel. But it matched up well enough with her invite. A rushed phone call from Nicole herself, gushing about how great of friend her and Percy used to be. Nicole thought it was a great idea to have her as the Maid of Honor and wouldn't that make Percy so happy?

Annabeth had realized very quickly that she should have just said no.

But whatever had caused her to accept was forcing her to stand there and listen to vows exchanged, while she wondered just how much of his life she had missed and how much she would be missing after this was over.

The objection passed, the two kissed, and Percy was sealed away from her forever.

Annabeth looked away, refusing to let Percy see her gaze. He had avoided her as much as possible during the entire process. It hurt but Annabeth could understand.

Her sudden break-up must have hurt as well.

At the time, it had made sense. Distancing herself from everything in her past had included a confused and concerned boyfriend. He was too deeply ingrained with her memories (nightmares) for her to allow him to go with her.

And if she ever regretted her decision, it wasn't like Percy ever answered her Iris Messages.

Cheering forced Annabeth out of her thoughts. The deepest part of her heart that still held fondness for Percy tugged on her lips at the happiness on his face.

She would be okay with no longer being part of his life if she could remember this moment.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Questioning**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	16. Questioning

**Me: You guys are just awesomesause. For reals. Side note: Part Tres of the Seeking Solace series!**

**This is: Questioning**

**Percy, Rachel**

**Summary preview: Some questions were sharper than knives.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Percy inhaled deeply trying to stable his emotions.

He could do this. If for the sake of his children if nothing else. Rachel put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. Percy returned a wavering smile and knocked rapidly on the door in front of them.

He could hear his mother's light footsteps as she rushed towards the door. It only just opened when Percy was suddenly entangled in her arms. "I am so so sorry, Percy." she whispered, rubbing his back.

"Not your fault, Mom."

"Come on inside, both of you. Paul is with the kids and-" Sally was cut short as Kayden wandered into the room and happily exclaimed, "Dad! Kirsten, Dad's back!"

"DADDY!"

Percy was suddenly tackled in little arms and happy grins. Paul suddenly came into view looking sheepish. Percy moved to be at a similar height with his children and hugged them back just as fiercely.

He took a moment to question what exactly his children had done to have their mother taken away at the age of eight. Fate despised him, that was no secret. But his children didn't deserve this. Not now and likely not ever.

Kayden was the first to pull away. "What are you doing here, Dad? Grandma Sally said that you wouldn't be back until tomorrow. I'm glad you're here though, 'cause we missed you. Oh! Do we get to see Mom since you're here today? Is she here? Did she get to come home early? Or do we have to go visit her at the hospital?" Kayden questioned, his eyes lighting up at the thought of his mother.

Kirsten pulled back as well and squealed. "Yeah! Can we go see Mama, Dad? Pleeeaasseee?"

Percy's heart tighten the longer their questioning went on. He was going to have to tell them no. They wouldn't ever get to see and talk with their mother again. Percy opened his mouth to tell them then froze.

"So can we, Dad?" Kayden asked once more at his silence.

Percy sighed. "You know that your mother has been very very sick lately with cancer. And sometimes,-" Percy stopped to clear his throat. "Sometime cancer patients don't... They don't... Your mom didn't make it. I am so very sorry."

Maybe they would under the severity of that for a few more years yet. But they deserved to at least have someone try to explain what had taken their mother away from them.

The faces staring back at him mirrored in their horror. "But- but you s-said she would be ho-home tomorrow! You promised!" Kayden protested, voice catching.

"I know. I know and I am so sorry." Percy responded.

"We won't get to see Mama anymore?" Kirsten whispered.

Percy could only shake his head. Kirsten burst into tears and climbed into his lab, clutching his shirt. Kayden, never one for loud messy tears, quietly settled himself beside Percy and hugged him tightly. Percy held them both and cry with them, in remembrance of one wonderful Annabeth Jackson nee Chase.

-100DIWPJ-

Hours later, long after Percy had tucked the twins into one of Sally's guest rooms, Rachel found him lying on her couch staring at nothing.

"You doing okay?" she asked, leaning into his line of sight.

Percy blinked once before giving her a soft smile. "I will be, I think. It helped being around the twins and they need me. And I understand now that I was being an utter jerk ignoring you guys when you needed me too. I hope Thalia isn't as furious with me as I think she is, though."

Rachel sat on the ground, leaning against the couch. "She isn't even mad. We know you needed your time to grieve. Just- just promise me that you won't ever lose yourself like that again. You scared us, Percy. You scared me." Rachel quietly admitted.

Percy leaned towards her. "I'm sorry about that too." His smile grew. "And of course I promise. It's just... I never imagined anything could _hurt_ like that. Maybe I was in shock. Actually, yeah. I probably was. But it won't happen again. Swear on the Styx." he assured her, the familiar thunder rumbling outside.

Rachel nodded. "Good. You know what we need? What all of us need? To get together soon and talk about the good, happy memories we had of Annabeth. You and me, Thalia, Grover, and Malcom. If we can make it to camp, I'm sure Chiron would love being there too. What do you say?" Rachel suggested.

"Yeah. That... that would be great."

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Last in the Seeking Solace series, but this AU world will pop up now and then.**

**Next chapter: Blood**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	17. Blood

**Me: Reviews are as lovely as water (which lets us live. So.)**

**This is: Blood**

**Thalia, Luke**

**Summary preview: A little blood never hurt anyone.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

I hissed as the thorn in my wrist went deeper instead of out. The pain was not helping my mood.

Luke should have been back by now. The mission was to go out, find (or steal) some food, and bring it back. While I had the far simpler mission of watching over Annabeth in a creepy forest, I was completely aware of the typical time it took to find and bring back food.

Which brought me back to the picking at the thorn instead of obsessing over maybes and could-be scenarios.

"Thalia?" Annabeth spoke up, her voice soft. I flinched at the sudden noise. Pausing for a moment to remind myself that, no, it wasn't Annabeth's fault that Luke wasn't back yet. There was no need to act prickly around her. Judging by the unimpressed look she gave me when I turned around, I failed.

I would never make it as a mother.

"Yes?" I snapped. The unimpressed look grew into condensation. I looked away from her.

"Would you like for me to get rid of that thorn?"

Considering the offer, I glanced back at her. Right. Child of Athena. If anyone could get rid of the literal thorn in my side, it was probably her.

"Sure."

Annabeth smiled and wondered off for supplies. She came back rather quickly with a needle and a pair of tweezers that I probably should have used in the first place.

I lowered my wrist so she could work on it at a better height. Annabeth was quick and soon enough she was placing the thorn in my hand.

"All better now." she informed me, repeating the words Luke always told her after patching up a serious wound.

I let myself smile at her. Annabeth was seriously a cute kid and even though she was only seven, her quick thinking had saved us more than once.

I heard a sharp _snap,_ and whirled around to see Luke approaching us. As he got closer I hit him for taking so long. Luke just took it and winked.

"Who wants some watermelon?" he asked with a ridiculous grin.

Annabeth cried "Me!" and Luke laughed. I snatched the watermelon away from him and tore into it with Annabeth's knife.

"Whoa. You're bleeding! What happened?" Luke demanded, grabbing my wrist.

"Oh calm down. It's just a little blood. Annabeth had to get a thorn out of it for me.

Luke brought my arm to his mouth and gave the injury a soft kiss. "All better now." he whispered.

I blushed as Annabeth laughed.

"I told you so, Thalia!"

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**I still don't know their couple name. Thuke sounds nice enough, I suppose.**

**Next chapter: Rainbow**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	18. Rainbow

**Me: I'm a horribly lazy person. Oh well. Thanks for the reviews! Yeah!**

**This is: Rainbow**

**Iris**

**Summary preview: It isn't easy being the goddess of rainbows.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Iris was, had been, and forever will be the goddess of rainbows. While the title often gave her precious children grief, she strongly believed it only made them stronger against the world that was so pointlessly cruel.

Long ago she had chosen to remain peaceful. Her vows would not be broken, her neutrality would not budge.

But these heroes she would push in the right direction. They meant no harm and one was even the famous (perhaps _infamous_ was a better description) Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson who sounded so utterly lost as he spoke to his mother's answering machine.

While she could not show her hand, she believed that their cause was just. Rumors of Gaia had reached her long ago and no one sane believed that she was the better option.

Perhaps just this once she would help.

If only for a moment.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Gray**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	19. Gray

**Me: So this chapter was actually based off a chapter of a story that no longer exist. I'll try to fill it in best I can. Your reviews are lovely, by the way. ;)**

**This is: Gray**

**Katie, Travis**

**Summary preview: Maybe the future wasn't so gray after all.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

It began with the typical teasing of Percy and Annabeth.

"Everyone knows you have it _bad_ for the lovely Miss Chase, Jackson! You can't even try to deny it with that blush." Travis crowed.

Percy, sitting a few tables away, was in fact blushing heavily. And managing to scowl fiercely at Travis, Katie noted with amusement. "You're one to talk, Travis! We've all seen how you turn to absolute mush when Katie is brought up in any context!"

Katie's amusement vanished only to be replaced with mortification. Could it be true? Did _Travis_ honestly... She glanced over at Travis only to see him gaping at Percy. Well that told her nothing. Was Percy only using them as a scapegoat?

She finally managed to catch Travis' eye. He shrugged in a what-can-you-do way.

Butterflies invaded her stomach and she quickly turned away. Was this how Annabeth felt around Percy? Ugh. Katie didn't know how she could stand it, if it was true. Maybe it was her confidence. Annabeth _was_ rocking those stormy gray eyes, after all. All Katie had going for her was a roof filled with chocolate bunnies.

Silena popped up out of no where, sporting a mischievous grin. Dear gods, the Aphrodite table was staring at her and Travis now. This could only end badly.

"Hello, Katie! As Percy just outed what we've all suspected for weeks now, it's time to face your undying lust- I mean love for one another. Percy is so _cute_! Honestly, Annabeth better make her move soon because I know many a sibling that would just _love_ to take a stab at him. That boy is precious." Silena sighed and shook her head. "But we aren't talking about Percy. We are talking about Katie and Travis. We need to work out a way to get through his thick Hermes' skull that you two are meant to be."

"I'm sure you mean well, Silena, but-"

"No, no. No buts. Come with me. I have a plan that I just _know_ will work. Always trust the instincts of a child of Aphrodite when it comes to this kind of thing, Katie."

-100DIWPJ-

Travis was seriously considering burning down the Poseidon cabin. Screw Poseidon. It would be _so_ worth it.

Connor caught up to him soon after lunch, still chuckling to himself. "Oh gods, I love Jackson. That so utterly backfired on you, bro. And did you _see_ Katie's face? Priceless. Absolutely priceless."

"Whatever, man." Travis mumbled. He knew far better than anyone that a future with Katie was nothing more than a gray blur. It was no secret that she hated him, after all.

"Oh I see how this is going down. You are either being a sore loser for the first time ever, or Jackson hit a nerve. Personally, I'm hoping for the former. Katie is a main, errr... well not victim but something like that of our _ideas._ We would have to reconstruct some serious plan of ours if you start dating her." Connor mused.

Travis continued glaring at his brother.

"But that doesn't mean that we couldn't. Heck we probably need to bring in some new people. Our other victims are becoming pros and that's dull. Besides," Connor said with a sly smile, "this give me so many routes of merciless teasing."

Travis let out a harsh laugh. "As if she would even consider the idea of dating me. We've tormented her cabin for far too long to do damage control now."

Connor snorted. "Bro, she has been aggressively lusting after you for months now. You are so oblivious."

Travis let the possibility float around his head for a moment and then smirked.

"I am ridiculously attractive, you know."

Connor laugh and Travis joined him. Maybe a future with Katie wasn't as gray as he had thought.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Fortitude**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	20. Fortitude

**Me: Fabulous reviews as usual. Yay. Part of the _Seeking Solace_ world.**

**This is: Fortitude**

**Kayden, Kirsten, Rachel, Nico**

**Summary preview: Percy simply defines fortitude.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

I stared at Dad as I realized he was completely serious. Kayden looked just as disbelieving as I did. Was Dad seriously sending _Uncle Travis_ to watch us? Like, seriously? Uncle Travis was kind of insane!

"But, Dad! Why? I get that you have to go, but why the babysitter? We are perfectly capable 15-year-old teenagers! Do you seriously not trust us?"

Dad cracked a wry smile at us. The sight shocked me into silence. After Mom's death seven years ago, he had all but lost the ability to smile at little things.

"Do you have any idea what kind of trouble I caused when I was your age? I don't think they ever found the lion statues." he told us, a grin making its way across his face.

I blinked. "You stole lion statues?"

Dad started laughing. "I don't think that is actually possible for those particular statues. Let's just say that was a very... interesting year for me. And considering that you are my children I have complete faith that something would have ended up destroyed by the time I got back if I leave you on your own." he told us, a gleam in his eyes.

I glanced towards my brother and knew he was storing this information away. Dad rarely shared any information on his past, claiming it was disastrous and unimportant. All we really knew was that he held a weird grudge against the Empire State Building and San Francisco.

"Thanks for the support, Dad." Kayden drawled.

Dad ruffled his hair and kissed my forehead. "I'll be back in a week. Don't do anything too dangerous before Travis gets here. Love you both." he told us before closing the door behind him.

I sighed and made my way towards the couch.

"Well. That was new." Kayden said, throwing himself into the computer chair. I snorted as he went flying back a few feet.

"Yeah. I wonder what he did with the statues."

Kayden moved the chair back to its original position before sighing. "I wish Dad was so closed off all the time. I mean, it isn't like we don't learn stuff anyways. Grandma Sally talks about his fortitude all the time. Grandpa already told us he saved Mom's live more than once. Rachel always adopts a fond tone when talking about Dad, which I think speaks for itself."

"I know, right? And Grover talks like Dad did him some grand favor on more than one occasion. Last time we saw Thalia she told me that he was way braver than her. Nico just told us to avoid mentioning it around Percy all together which is kind of suspicious."

"I just don't understand why he's so edgy about it. Unless he was in a gang or something. We're his kids! Surely we are entitled to some sort of explanation?" Kayden questioned.

"Think again, children. When Percy wants something to stay hidden, it typically does."

Rachel stood in the doorway, smirking. "Rachel!" I cried as I rushed towards her. She laughed as she stumbled back.

"Kirsten! Hello to you as well, Kayden." Rachel greeted us. Kayden quickly gave her a side hug and stepped away.

"What are you doing here? Dad told us Uncle Travis was going to be our watcher." Kayden questioned as we moved further into the room.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Why you children insist on calling him 'uncle' in the first place is beyond me. He isn't remotely related to you. And I don't know what Percy was on when he made that decision. Your house would be ashes by the time he came back."

"We found out and made sure that Travis had, uh, _other_ problems to worry about." Nico informed us, strolling in behind Rachel.

"Katie will never forgive you." Rachel snickered.

Nico smirked. "Who says she will ever find out it was me? Hey Kayden, Kirsten."

Kayden fist bumped him. "Hey Nico."

Rachel grabbed all of our arms and led us to the couch. Or she led Nico to the couch and promptly demoted Kayden and I to the floor.

"Now I am of the personal belief that you deserve a little more information about your father. I'm only going to show you this once, so pay attention. And don't ever tell Percy. He would kill me." Rachel told us, pulling a pen out of her jeans.

I stared at the familiar pen in confusion. "Is there a reason that you have Dad's favorite pen, or?"

Nico threw her an impressed look. "How did you manage to nick that? Doesn't it have that whole return property?"

Rachel patted his hand. "I have my ways." She then removed the cap of the pen.

I was not expecting a three-foot long sword to shoot out of it. Neither was Kayden, by the way he scrambled back. "Whoa!" we exclaimed at the same time.

Rachel looked exasperated. "I thought so. Well, if nothing else he has no reason _not_ to tell them now. They have the Sight."

Nico frowned. "Yeah. But now he does have reason to kill us for alerting any monster in the near-by radius of our presence."

Rachel just shook her head. "We can handle them. And Percy won't kill us." she considered for a moment. "He won't kill _me,_ at least. I'm not certain on your worthiness." Nico scowled at her.

I jumped in before they rambling went any further. Monsters? Magic pens? And here I thought Uncle Travis was crazy. "What the hell is that? I thought Dad just had an unnatural attachment to that pen, not that it was a dangerous weapon!" I demanded.

Rachel and Nico shared an amused look. "Unnatural attachment?" he mouthed. Rachel laughed.

"This is serious, guys!"

Rachel sighed and touched the cap to the end of the sword. It instantly turned back into a pen. For the sake of my sanity, I ignored the way it disappeared. "That was Riptide. Ask Percy about it sometime. It helped him survive wars and battle through death. Your dad has some serious fortitude going for him."

"Try not to be _too_ persistent with the questions. Percy gets edgy and likely won't like constant reminders of Annabeth." Nico threw in.

"Oh trust me," Kayden replied, breaking through his shock, "We are going to have a serious _talk_ with Dad when he gets home. Now when you say 'monsters'..."

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Vacation**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	21. Vacation

**Me: So I've been thinking about what vacation would mean to an 11 year old Percy.**

**Because in just the few pages I read about Gabe I could not stand him.**

**Percy had to live with him for _months_.**

**This is: Vacation**

**Percy, Sally, Gabe**

**Summary preview: Vacation: the double edged sword...**

* * *

><p>If school didn't have vacation, Percy would be dead by now from overexposure to education.<p>

But vacation was one word that scared him the most.

Vacation meant having to live with Gabe for days on end. Vacation meant being beaten for things that they both knew he didn't do. Vacation meant being robbed by his stepfather. It meant hiding in tiny, hidden away places for hours so Gabe would give up looking for him. It meant not easting for days sometimes. It meant having beer bottles thrown at him in anger.

It would be so easy to hate vacation.

But then again, vacation meant seeing his mom again. Vacation meant new inside jokes between them. Vacation meant blue food. It meant seeing the one person that would never be disappointed in him even if he failed most of his classes and got kicked out of yet _another_ school. It meant seeing her smile like he was the best thing she could have ever gotten. It meant he could see her happy.

So despite the fact that he could just take the taxi or bus to a completely different place and never have to deal with Smelly Gabe again, he came home each time.

Because he knew leaving would be like a slap in the face for his mom who really did try and make home a decent place for him.

So yeah, Percy couldn't stand vacation.

But he also couldn't wait for it.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts?<strong>

**Next chapter is: Mother Nature**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	22. Mother Nature

**Me: Was it Gabe? The overuse of the chapter name? Percy before he was hot? Let me know please so I know not to do it again!**

**This is: Mother Nature**

**At first I thought about doing Gaia, but that seemed boring. So while I was watching _Titanic_ I remember going to their museum in Branson, Missouri while I was visiting some relatives and I remembered that the _Titanic's_ sister ship was called the _Olympic._ Which if you take the ic off _Titanic_ it becomes Titan. Take the c off Olympic and you get... Olympi. Which is short for Olympian I am sure.**

**And Annabeth will explain the rest.**

**Percy, Annabeth.**

**I do not own the right to _Titanic_ (movie or ship) the _Olympic_, _Britainnic_ or PJO.**

**Summary preview: Mother Nature didn't always hate the gods...**

* * *

><p>"So yeah when the zombie eats your right toe, I am going to laugh and breed cannibal ducks."<p>

"That's great Annabeth." Percy muttered, not even hearing what she was saying.

Annabeth sighed. She had hoped to spark some kind of reaction with the whole zombie thing, but apparently that was Nico's thing.

Percy was such an odd teenage guy.

"Omigods, _**YES**_, I loved that movie! Leonardo was so _CUTE!_" a passing Aphrodite daughter gushed to her friend.

"And how romantic was it, when Rose went back to _save_ him?" the friend gushed back.

"I know!"

They squealed and walked out of hearing distance.

Percy shook his head. "Honestly, I don't understand why girls are so hung up on that movie. When my mom made me watch it forever ago, all I remember is that the ship sunk. The 'good' guy died. And really, I sincerely doubt that the Titanic was all that romantic when _it_ _was SINKING._ I'm pretty sure they were more worried about living then the chick throwing the million dollar necklace into the ocean. Even if Dad appreciated the tip."

Annabeth just stared at him. "Is it weird that I agree with you?" she asked.

Percy blinked. "Yes."

Annabeth laughed. "I mean, come _on_. Life isn't a romance. But I'm pretty sure I know why the _Titanic_ sunk."

Percy actually looked interested. "Seriously? Because I always wondered if it was Dad's fault, or just one of those freak accidents that he lets happen."

"I'm pretty sure it was a freak accident that he could have prevented, but didn't. Think about it. They were in a ship named after the Titans. The _Titanic_ got way better press then the ship named after the Olympians despite the fact that they were almost identical. In fact, I bet a lot of people don't even know that the sister ships the _Olympic _and _Britannic_ exist." she told him.

"I mean, no way am I criticizing the _Titanic_. And what happened to it was terrible, there is no doubt about that. Plus the engine work on it was _**amazing**_. But, you know, maybe they should have named it differently. Maybe Poseidon would have helped them. You never really know."

Percy looked amused. "Mother nature seemed to have been on our side at that moment of tragic history."

Annabeth nodded. "Let's hope she stays that way."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: What did you think?<strong>

**R&R.**

**Next chapter is: Cat.**

**This is going to be fun.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	23. Cat

**Me: Hey guys. **

**Anyway thanks so much for the reviews! Shout out to _BlackPanther 101_ who reviewed on EVERY ONE OF MY PJO STORIES! Go _BlackPanther 101!_ **

**Oh, and one more thing. This seemed like the perfect drabble for some laughs. Many gods were harmed in the making of this chapter.**

**This is: Cat**

**Zeus, Hades, Hermes, Ares, Apollo and a brief appearance of Poseidon.**

**Summery preview: This couldn't end well...**

* * *

><p>Hermes looked down at the cat resting in his lap. He had found it outside the camp border when he was there last to discuss a rising issue with Chiron when it had just walked up to him and wrapped itself around his leg, purring.<p>

In all honesty, he was delighted to have found it. He had a prank up his sleeve that even Hera would get a smile out of.

But first he had to make sure Hades and Ares met up with him, before they all left to go see Zeus.

And he had to make sure Hades didn't see the cat.

"Apollo!" he hissed as he saw the music god walk by. Apollo looked over at him and broke into a grin at the sight of the cat.

"Excellent. Who are we throwing it on?" he asked walking over.

Hermes rolled his eyes. "No one. Well, not yet anyway. But I need you to hold on to him until we get to the throne room." he told him.

Apollo frowned. "And the point of this is?"

Hermes' smirked evilly. "All in do time Apollo. All in due time. But if you happen to find an unusually large can of glue, please to not mess with it. Or the feathers."

Apollo blinked. "Father is going to kill you when this is over."

Hermes laughed. "If he isn't killed by Hades or Ares first. Now take the cat! I have a prank to finish."

Ares showed up right as Apollo walked out of sight, closely followed by Hades.

"Welcome. Now, if you please, follow me. Zeus is waiting."

They never stood a chance.

* * *

><p>"GET THE THING OFF ME!" Ares bellowed as the cat, who just being the same room as the war god had completely freaked out thinking he was a predator and attack his face.<p>

Hades was laughing and Zeus just stood there dumbfounded.

The cat heard Hades and immediately tore after him.

"AHH! GET IT AWAY!" Hades cried as the cat started biting his ear and ripping his shoulder.

Zeus was shaking with compressed laughter and the sight of the war god being taken down by a cat and his brother being attacked by the a fore mentioned cat finally got to him. And poor Apollo had gotten stuck in there as well for not leaving when Hermes told him too.

As if it was his fault that the doors had an anti-air travel protection on them and just so happened to get 'jammed' right as the cat finally lost it.

Hermes had let the cat go after dumping a few gallons of glue onto the gods then added the feathers.

Thank gods for Hephaestus TV.

The rest of the Olympians- minus Poseidon- were in the recording room watching the action unfold.

Artemis was clutching her sides laughing and Demeter was giggling. Aphrodite was smirking and Hera was grinning in a sadistic way.

Poseidon suddenly appeared in the throne room, looking slightly alarmed at the feathered gods and the psychotic cat. Hermes had no idea how he had gotten in, and was a bit worried to find that there was a way out of there.

But he didn't have time to worry about this as Poseidon must smell like fish, for the cat jumped off Hades and made a leaping bound towards the now slightly terrified god.

Poseidon had enough time to throw Zeus in front of him before disappearing.

"I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN POSEIDON AND HERMES!" Zeus yelled as the cat began to attack _him._ It obviously blamed Zeus for letting Poseidon get away and was doing everything it could to make sure Zeus knew it.

Apollo was attempting to sneak away unnoticed when Artemis narrowed her eyes and the cat suddenly had a double that immediately went after the sun god.

"This is the best day I've had in a long time." she said grinning at the look on her twins face.

"Do you think we should let them out?" He whispered to Hestia. A sly look came into her eyes.

"I think they can stand a few more minutes."

"I HATE CATS!" Apollo screamed as the cat ripped his iPod away.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Opinion? Did you at least smile?<strong>

**Anyway.**

**Next chapter: No Time**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	24. No Time

**Me: Thanks so much for the review guys! :P**

_**TerriM,**_ **is it bad that when I read your review I started laughing? Cause my roommate was looking at me weird...**

**Anyway, I went back and re-read that story _Love Me, Hate Me, Everything In Between_ and I can't count the number of times it made me cry. Honestly it is an amazing drabble thing. You should check it out.**

**This is a little different then what I usually do, so can you let me know if you like it?**

**This is: No Time**

**I don't own PJO**

**Rachel**

**Summary Preview: Because she never got her happily-ever-after**

* * *

><p>She should have known it could never happen.<p>

Because, even though she was _firefirefire_

Annabeth was a **p r i n c e s s**

{Athena should be so _proud_}

And who would choose fire over those _greygreygrey_ eyes?

.

She could tell he was thinking about _**her**_,

But she didn't say anything because that would mean an hour of

_**AnnabethAnnabethAnnabeth**_

Which was a **w a s t e **oftheir_time_.

.

But then his friend showed up on the _winged_ _horse_,

And she felt the sudden urge to _draw_

But then she realize he was _**leaving**_ and that

_**She might never see him again**_

.

So she kissed him,

Because there was **no time** like the _present_

_{and it was **ohso** great}_

.

Then he was g o n e,

And she could vaguely hear the name _Annabeth_

So she knew that she was **f o r g o t e n** _again_.

{But _maybe_ she should be **used** to this by now}

.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I always felt really bad for Rachel. She was just a girl going with insanely dangerous Greek mythology, and the only person she had a connection to in that world could die at any moment. Not to mention the crush.<strong>

**Completely off topic, does anyone know the correct spelling of grey/gray?**

**I spelled it both ways now, but I really don't know.**

**Next Chapter: Trouble Lurking**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	25. Trouble Lurking

**Me: YEAH! We are now 1/4th of the way through with this story. I don't know if you guys are a happy as I am that I even got this far (because despite this being my goal, I didn't really expect to get past chapter 9)**

**So in retrospect of the 25th chapter, I am making this in Annabeth's POV. And it will have a hint of Percabeth. Even if it is slightly... Heroes of Olympus.**

**Little treat to you guys as well as me.**

**This is: Trouble Lurking**

**Annabeth**

**Summary preview: Why should she care when he was right there?**

* * *

><p>When she felt trouble lurking, she ignored it. Because she was with <em><strong>Percy<strong>_ and he wouldn't let anything happen to her, right?

So what if Zeus was being an idiot and freaking out over something stupid, if he was there smiling down at her, planning their ski date?

How could she possibly care if he was **there** _kissing_ her and making her feel like her heart would never slow?

He told her those wonderful three words, and she grinned at him and said 'I love you too' because it was _true, _she _**does**_ love him. More then he could ever know.

But when she got up the next morning and didn't see him at breakfast, the troubled feeling grew stronger.

She she walked to his cabin, and knocked on the door. But when she didn't get an answer, she started pounding on the door and was vaguely surprised when it didn't break after the 11th pound.

Finally she just threw the door open, biting her lip terrified when she could find him anywhere in the cabin and his bed was still made which meant he never even slept in it.

She could taste blood after a while from biting her lip so desperately trying not to cry, because she was _**Annabeth Chase**_ and she never cried.

But when she saw his camp necklace on the top bunk, she grabbed it, and ran towards the Big House where surely _someone_ would say she was being paranoid and tell her where Percy is and why he isn't wearing his necklace.

But when Chiron stared at her in horror then immediately put out a search for him inside Camp, she realize that _**yes**_ this was really happening, that **Percy** was gone and they didn't have a clue where, how, or even why.

And that's when her world started falling apart.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: This is an A.N. saying that I have no end A.N.<strong>

**Next Chapter: Tears**

**R&R.**

**Anna/ Booklover98**


	26. Tears

**Me: Thanks for the reviews! :D**

**I still don't know if you guys liked the chapter with vague-ness over Rachel, but..**

**Yeah.**

**This is: Tears**

**Calypso**

**Summary preview: Lovely little tears...**

* * *

><p>Tears.<p>

Calypso was no stranger to them. Every few years (or at least it _felt_ like a few years)some injured boy would wash up on her shore.

He would be beautiful, if battle scarred. And always _always_, be absolutely perfect.

Okay so maybe she no longer fell in love with the boy (her heart had been broken one to many times), but she knew that if they really did stay she would eventually fall in love with them.

The Fates knew her well.

But every single one of them had something that they _**had**_ to go back to. Maybe it was family. Maybe it was friends. Maybe it was war.

Maybe it was love.

But that day when she saw Percy Jackson fall from the sky, she could tell that her world was about to change.

For the first time in centuries, she fell in love with a hero. And of course, that came along with hope that maybe, just maybe, he would stay with her.

Percy was just so _kind_ that he might actually stay just to make sure she was never alone again.

And maybe one day he would love her like she already loved him.

But when the fire god came (and completely deflated her servant's egos) Percy just seemed...distant.

Which was completely weird and just _wrong_ because he was always so open with her.

And when he finally did tell her what the god had said, she still asked him if he would stay.

And though it crushed her when he said no, some small part of her had been expecting him to say this. To say what everyone else had answered before him.

But that didn't stop the tears from falling down her face as he sailed away forever, and she wished that Percy really could come back one day, if only just so she could thank him for letting her be happy for the first time in a long time.

The gods came and went, just like always, giving her reports on the second Titan War.

And when Apollo came and told her that yes, they had _won_, she honestly didn't know whether to be happy or not. Because this meant her father was still trapped under the sky. That her uncle was scattered, and may never smile down at her again.

But Apollo was either a little slow, or didn't care, for he turned to her with a blinding smile and told her exactly what wish that Percy had been granted.

Then he was gone, leaving her alone to wonder whether that was some cruel joke or real. Because surely Percy wouldn't have thought of _her_, in his path to get the world fixed, right?

But when she _did_ try to leave, she not only found herself off her island, but sitting on a couch and accidentally waking up Percy himself, who blinked at her, grinned, and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you so much." she whispered tightening the hug.

Percy laughed. "That's what friends are for, right?" he replied, then pulled away to stand up.

"Follow me. I need to show you something." he told me, before leading me to a glass-thing that let you see outside, and showed her the moonlace she had given him two years ago.

And that showed her just how much he really did care about what happened to her.

"Wow." she breathed. The moonlace had obviously been taken well care of, and looked beautiful.

"Thanks." he said and we just stood there looking at the flower for some time, savoring this moment.

"Would you like for me to give you a tour of Manhattan this afternoon?" he suddenly blurted.

Calypso looked at the clock and saw that is was already past ten A.M.

She must have said 'yes' weird, for he laughed.

A woman's voice said, "Percy Jackson who is this, and what is she doing here?"

We turned. "Good morning, Mom. This is Calypso. We, umm, met awhile back. It looks like the gods kept their promise and let her off her island."

Percy's mother looked kinda shocked. "You have been to Calypso's island?"

Percy looked a bit lost, so the girl in question jumped in.

"It is lovely to meet you, Mrs. Jackson. Percy spoke about you often." which was a completely lie, because he never even mentioned his mother.

Mrs. Jackson smiled at me. "You can call me Sally dear. And while I would love to hear of why and how he got to your island, I will let it go..for now. So I hear that you are going to be walking around New York."

Calypso nodded. "Though, you dress so _strangely_ here, I really would rather not stand out, so do you by any chance have anything I could possibly...yeah." she trailed off at the look on her face.

Mrs. Jack- Sally was grinning in a devilish way.

"I have a top you can borrow, and I'm sure that Percy can go and get Annabeth's jeans out from under his bed so I can wash them for you."

She could see Percy's face began to look mortified and he quickly left to room, his face a bright shade of red, muttering something about "why was she looking under my bed?".

She stiffed a laugh and turned back to Mrs. Jackson smiling.

And for the very first time, Calypso felt as though she may never cry again.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I liked this chapter. The last (or fifth depending on if you are reading the spin-off) book mentioned something about Calypso leaving her island as part of the promise, but it never went into detail.<strong>

**Thoughts?**

**R&R.**

**Next chapter: Foreign**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	27. Foreign

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys! They were awesome as always.**

**This is: Foreign**

**Annabeth, Percy, OC**

**Summary preview: Foreign boys were yummy...**

* * *

><p>Annabeth could not stop herself from glance over at the new foreign guy who was sitting on the steps of the school.<p>

He was just so cute!

His name was Damon, and he had that adorable British accent, with these big blue eyes that melted her heart.

Some small part of her registered that Percy was walking towards her, because it was Friday and they had movie date, but she couldn't look away.

Mostly because Damon had just looked up at her and smiled as she blushed.

Suddenly snapping fingers were in her face.

She glanced over at Percy and saw he looked...amused?

"Nice of you to daydream about Blondie over there when I'm right here." he commented that stupid smirk still on his face.

She blushed again. "I was not!"

That made his laugh. "Sure you were. But it's okay. That loser has nothing on us. Come on. Let's go watch our movie." he told her.

Annabeth looked over at Damon once more, took Percy's hand, and let herself be led away from the cute foreign boy.

Who need foreign when they could have a hero?

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Meh. It was okay-ish.<strong>

**But will Damon continue to be a problem?**

**No.**

**Next chapter is: Sorrow**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	28. Sorrow

**Me: Hey guys! It tis me again.**

**Guess what?**

**I have absolutely no idea what to right about for the next chapter Happiness.**

**It is extremely sad that I can write you a story were every one of PJO members die an terrible death, but I can think of anything that would make them happy except another Charlie/Silena thing.**

**Maybe Chris and Clarrise.**

**Or Grover and Juniper.**

**BUT WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM SO HAPPY?**

**The marriage question? Lame.**

**A kiss? Lame.**

**A family? How does a screaming two year old make anyone happy?**

**Being out of war? That is a chapter I'm using later.**

**My idea booth is jammed for this one. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.**

**This is: Sorrow.**

**Yes _Terri M_ this will be sad.**

**Poseidon, Sally, Percy**

**Summary preview: Never say goodbye.**

* * *

><p>He was a god. A <em>god<em>. He had a piece of the entire _world_.

Actually the better half of it.

He had a brave son. Actually, he had a lot of brave sons and daughters, but this son was the savior of Olympus.

Not even Zeus had that.

He could do almost anything in the world.

But he could not cure his own sorrow, as he watched the only woman who had caught his eye in decades fade away to join his brother's territory in the Underworld.

He could not stop the tears from falling out of his son Percy, eyes anymore then he could stop the flash of self-hatred of his own self.

Because even though he promised her forever,

He could not bring himself to say goodbye.

So instead he watched Percy take his mother's hand, and promise her just to hang on for just _one more minute_ because **surely** Poseidon loved her enough to let her see him one last time.

Sally just smiled up at him. She didn't have to tell him that she knew Poseidon well enough to know that he could never say goodbye to anyone.

And for just one minute he thought about flashing down there, just to prove that _she was wrong_ and he _**did**_ love her enough to say goodbye.

Then he swiped his hand through the image and left to mourn in silence.

After all he was a god. And gods never live up to their promises.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I love this chapter. :) Thoughts?<strong>

**Next chapter: Happiness.**

**Ideas?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	29. Happiness

**Me: I loved _Terri M_ and _What She Doesn't Know_ ideas so much I couldn't choose.**

**So I combined them.**

**Because I'm awesome enough to do that. Remember, this is in the year 2007 or 2008. I don't really know what year the _Titan's Curse_ came out.**

**Apollo, Artemis**

**Summary preview: The sun, the moon, and coffee...**

* * *

><p>The sun god was currently blowing bubbles in his coffee.<p>

It was somewhat keeping his mind off the fact that his little sister (who he secretly knew was older, but refused to accept), was trapped somewhere by some sadistic Titan out for revenge.

Besides, who could refuse the happiness that came with bubble-blowing?

He looked over a picture of the ocean and wondered briefly if his uncle would mind if he went for a swim, before he found himself swimming in the ocean in his favorite swimming trunks.

It was not as fun as he thought it would be.

Apollo sighed. At that moment in his life, he truly wished that he could just screw the ancient divine laws and just go save his sister.

Because even though Apollo usually looked like a teenager, that didn't mean he trusted teenagers with his sisters _life_.

Not even Percy Jackson.

But Father would have a hissy fit, Artemis would be annoyed that he thought she couldn't take care of herself, and the Fates would be furious with him and most likely take it out on his children.

But the fact was, Father could get over himself, the kids would be fine (probably), but not one person on this planet could be one hundred percent honest when they told him she would be okay.

Because right now the future was a mystery even to him.

Which was _**so**_ annoying.

Seriously, what was the point of being the god of prophecies if you could even find out if your family was safe?

Exactly. There was none.

Apollo left the beach, and found himself in what Hera would call "Your filthy living space"

Apollo tended to call it his room.

The walls were pure stereos, the music was always changing, there was medical supplies everywhere, along with old prophecies written on scrolls, and the ceiling was a picture of him pulling the sun chariot over the sky.

He kinda like his room.

But he was annoyed at the progress the demigods were making.

For Zeus sake, he had gone down as a _hobo__**twice**_ to help them with this.

Was the sea kid any less dense?

No.

During a brief flash of anger, he slammed his new idea for a music device into the wall.

The touchscreen iPod Nano could wait.

The small model broke apart and he realized that he was losing it.

_Take a deep breath and calm down_. _This isn't the first time this has happened._

Apollo snorted at his attempts to calm himself. All he had done was make the stress worse.

People often forgot that yes, Apollo was a god that had been around for hundreds of years. That he wasn't just some teenager on the council full of stuffy, strict, annoying gods.

He knew his job, he knew how to get what he wanted, and he knew when to let things go.

He was just more forgiving then the other gods.

Well maybe not Hestia. But definitely more then Dionysus.

But that didn't mean he was a useless Olympian. That didn't mean he didn't care about anything other then his-self.

But these were not mellow thoughts, so Apollo tossed them out of his head, because otherwise he would just get annoyed, or even a little angry at the easy way everyone just dismissed-

Right.

Happy thoughts.

Apollo wished he still had his coffee.

He was dying to know how the demigods were doing though, so he left his room to go and find the throne room.

Upon entering, he saw Athena, Zeus, and Hermes all looking over their children's fight.

Then they pulled back and huge smiled broke out over Athena and Zeus' faces.

Hermes just looked troubled.

"Yo, Hermes. You doin' okay?" he asked, trying to help his friend.

Hermes looked up. "As well as can be expected. I have to go. Oh, and Apollo, Artemis is-"

"Father!" Artemis' voice rang through the room as she entered the room through the front entrance.

Years later, Apollo still couldn't describe the happiness that bubbled through him at the sight of his sister, tired looking, but basically unharmed.

"Artemis!" he cried running towards her.

She looked up and smiled at him, before he crushed her in a hug.

"You suck." he informed her, pulling away.

She snorted then sobered. "I'm sorry for worrying you brother. But I need to speak with Father, before the demigods get here. We can catch up later." she told him, before striding away.

But that was okay.

Because she was okay, and the moon would keep shining, and the Great Prophecy was going to be carried out tomorrow and-

Wait. Backtrack.

_Tomorrow?_

Well his mood was just slightly bummed.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts? I thought that while Rick did a great job at showing us the sun gods personality, he kinda made him look like a guy who blew off his responsibilities.<strong>

**And as if he was a lot younger then the other gods, when in fact, he still is an Olympian and by far not the youngest. He's pretty old.**

**I don't know. Maybe it was just me.**

**Next Chapter: Under the Rain**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	30. Under the Rain

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys! :)**

**Yes. That's right. I updated twice today. :P**

**Anyways, this is another chapter kinda like 'No Time'**

**This is: Under the Rain**

**Luke, Annabeth**

**Summary preview: She never thought she would see him like this...**

* * *

><p>He couldn't do this to her.<p>

He couldn't look at her, and see those big gray eyes, and _still_ ask for her forgiveness.

He couldn't act like it would be okay.

.

He wasn't suppose to come back for her.

He wasn't suppose to _**ever**_ break his promise.

He wasn't suppose to get lost along the way either.

.

She never thought she would ever feel sorry for him.

She never thought that he would ever end up failing her.

She never thought it would hurt to see him.

.

She didn't believe that he was standing there, asking her to _**help**_ him.

She didn't believe that he would ever think about how she felt in his time of darkness.

She didn't believe that her hero, who was standing under the rain, could ever look so _lost_.

.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: :(<strong>

**Just a little drabble on what Annabeth must have felt when Luke asked her to leave with him.**

**If it wasn't obvious, the first 2 paragraphs are in Luke POV and the last 2 are in Annabeth's POV**

**Next chapter: Flowers.**

**This is obviously going to be Traite. OR something about Aphrodite and Ares.**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	31. Flowers

**Me: Hello everyone.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews! I never even thought I would get ten let alone 50+!**

**You guys are awesome.**

**I decided to go with Tratie, because it is just Demeter for me not too.**

**This is: Flowers**

**Travis, Katie**

**Summary preview: A penny for your petal.**

* * *

><p>"Nice roof your got up here, Gardner."<p>

"Go away."

"I mean, the new tree really gives it that cozy my-roof-is-going-to-fall-through edge don't cha think?"

"Go _away_."

"But your watering methods are so... odd. If you have to cry every time you water your plants, then why do you-"

"GO AWAY TRAVIS!"

Travis sighed and sat down beside her.

Katie's big brother had recently passed away fighting the war. The U.S. war, not the Olympus war.

But he didn't expect _Katie_ to be crying. Yelling, yes. Stony silence, yes. Flat out anger, yes.

But _crying_? Never.

So he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Katie looked up long enough to give him her fierce glare, then wavered before leaning into him and sobbing.

"I'm, s-such a _child_." she wailed. "I-I know that people die in wars, because for Zeus sake, a lot of demigods died in the Titan War! But..." She looked back up at him.

"But why did it have to be him?" she whispered.

Travis honestly had no idea what to say. He had never seen her look this vulnerable. So he decided to go with a mostly socially acceptable response.

"Fate is pretty sadistic. It' like, their job or something. But I am sorry that it happened."

She nodded, sniffed a few times, and leaned away with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry for ruining your shirt. I didn't mean to completely ruin your day with that." she apologized.

Travis shrugged. "You needed to let it out. I just happened to be here." he told her then smiled. "I'll always be here for you Katie."

He plucked two flowers, twirled the stems together, and placed them in her hair.

Despite the fact that her eyes were puffy, and red, and her nose was brighter then Rudolph's, she was easily the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Even if she was blushing.

"Thank you. For everything." she said, a sincere note in her voice, before opening the trap door that led to their cabin and crawling inside.

Travis leaned back against the roof, grinning like an idiot for the next hour.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Cute Tratie-ness. :)<strong>

**R&R.**

**Next chapter: Night**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	32. Night

**Me: :)**

**This is: Night**

**Annabeth, Percy, Nico, Thalia**

**Summary preview: Note to self: Trees and night don't mix.**

* * *

><p>"Was that a tree?"<p>

Laughter from multiple sources. "I think so." a voice on the left said.

Silence.

Then, "How did I not see that?"

"Because Nico is the one with night vision, not you?" a second voice answered.

"Point. Wait. Why does Nico get night vision?"

"Because I'm the awesomer cousin."

"You wish." came from two different people.

More laughter and the sound of crunching leaves.

"Chiron is going to kill us tomorrow." a third voice spoke up.

Someone snorted. "Yeah. Unless Mr. D gets to us first."

"Gods, that would be an awful way to die."

"You might not die. He just might turn us all into our parents' favorite animal." the first voice pointed out.

A soft scoff. "As if that is any better. You are some freaky swimmer, so it would be cool for you to be a dolphin. _I_ would get stuck as a bird."

"A fluffy bird, that eats that thick lollipop in three licks, at that. I would get to be the American's national bird."

"Better then a... what _is_ Hades' favorite animal?"

Silence.

"A...jackal?"

"No, I think that's Artemis'."

"A monster?"

"Would that count as a human animal?"

"No."

"You're smart, Wise Girl. What is Uncle's favorite animal?"

A brief pause then, "I have no idea."

A stunned silence. "...What?"

"I _said, -_"

"_Ow! _Gods,I hate trees."

"Percy?"

"_Juniper?_ Oh my gods, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean _your_ tree specificly, -"

"Goodbye Jackson." the dryad said rather frostily and left.

Laughter rang through the air.

"Does no one feel my pain?"

"No." the voice that was called 'Wise Girl' answered.

"We really shouldn't be out here in the middle of the night." Hades' son said suddenly.

Snickers. "This was _your _idea. No backing out now." the daughter of Zeus told him, shoving him into the 'freaky swimmer'.

"Watch it! I already have a bloody arm. I don't need a bruised one as well."

"Wimp."

A loud _smack_ rang out.

"THAT WAS MY ARM YOU IDIOT!"

"You sure? I was aiming for gut."

"You are _so_ dead tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?"

"Because I can't see your exact location. You're all blurry."

"I suggest leaving camp before dawn Seaweed Brain."

"I knew you were smart."

"Does anyone even know where we are? I feel like we're walking in circles."

Breathing suddenly became the loudest sound you could hear.

"Umm. No, not really. Wow, this is sad and scary at the same time. Thanks for nothing Death Breath."

"Oh shut up. I'm not the one who got us lost."

"Yes you are! You were suppose to be watching the stars so we could find our way to-"

"Shut it Pinecone Face."

"_What did you call me?_"

"Nothing. I said absolutely nothing. It was all Percy's fault."

"You jerk. I blame Annabeth."

"Why me? _I _don't _**have **_a deep guy voice. Personally I agree with Nico."

"What? What happened to loyalty to your boyfriend?"

"It seemed to have gotten lost a mile back."

"Best friend?"

"Nice try. My best friends are either asleep or beside me. Get a new title Seaweed Brain."

"Thalia, you _know_ I didn't say it."

"No. But you _did_ invent to idiotic name. For that you will pay. Nico, you better watch your back as well. Lying is pointless. I would know that whiny changing-pitch voice anywhere."

A groan. "This was not how I was envisioning this."

A snort. "Which part? The part where we 'accidentally' destroyed the artifact we came for-"

"It _was_ an accident, I swear!"

"_Shut up Percy! __**Or**_ the part where we got lost and you two idiot guys got pwned by Thalia?"

"All of it, if you can believe it."

"Oddly enough, I can."

"Was that a sexist comment?"

"Yes."

"Well then. I have nothing el- _I am going to burn this forest to the ground!"_

Loud laughter. "Geez Percy, just learn to tell the difference between empty blackness, and tree brown-black."

"Easy for you to say."

"Poor little Percy. Does he need a hug?"

"Hug me Thalia, and die."

The girl in question laughed. "Oooh, macho. You loser."

"Dear gods, I'm surrounded by insanity."

"You are the one who agreed to come with us dear Annie."

"A mistake I will never make again. I _thought_ I would be able to help you so-called 'powerful' Big Three demigods stay out of any serious trouble, but I seemed to have failed epically."

"You were fighting a losing battle."

"Thanks for the encouragement Nico."

"No problem."

It was silent for a little while.

Then, "Does anyone hear that creepy _Star Wars_ breathing besides me?"

The four friends exchanged looks, then ran back to camp, screaming.

A low laugh escaped the dryad as she went back to her tree.

"_Finally_, some peace and quiet."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: A very lame attempt at humor.<strong>

**This is what my brain come up with at 2 A.M.**

**Next chapter: Expectations.**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	33. Expectations

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys! Every review= Warm fuzzy feeling.**

**This is: Expectations**

**Thalia**

**Summary preview: Crushing expectations.**

* * *

><p>Being a Child of the Big Three came with a lot of expectations. Being the child of Zeus, brought even more.<p>

Being the fabled child of the Great Prophecy was mind-blowing.

And insane, and huge, and _life changing_. Thalia honestly had no idea how Percy had dealt with this for two years.

She was in slight shock actually. It wasn't every day that you were a day away from saving or destroying the world.

Or, you know, being asked to be Artemis' first lieutenant.

That was kinda a big thing as well.

So many faces, so many different opinions, so many expectations. She knew her father expected her to stand up and be the child that they had been waiting for. Because, after that, he could rub it in his brothers faces if she saved them all.

But she also knew he was slightly doubtful over it. Every single person in this room knew how she felt about Luke.

Artemis was expecting her to join the Hunters and start her life over. Who wouldn't choose this if they had a second chance?

Poseidon expected her to take the offer, though she could feel a vibe in the air, over what would happen to his son if she did. He was concerned over his son.

Well that was new.

Annabeth just wanted her big sister to be happy. Thalia knew she would miss her if she took the offer, but it was better then the almost certainty that she would die tomorrow.

Percy...

She didn't really know with Percy. She had known him almost a year, and when they weren't screaming at each other, he was a great friend.

But even now, she had no idea what his opinion on this was. Did he want her to take the offer and leave him the task of figuring things out in two years? Or did he want her to refuse and just use some serious panic-formed ideas to get them through the war?

Thalia mentally shook her head and attempted to clear her thoughts, and made up her mind. It didn't matter what everyone else wanted from her.

It didn't matter that she was leaving this up to Percy to figure out. He was smart enough to think of something in two years time.

And besides, this way she would never have to feel the heartbreak of being in a relationship she had felt when Luke asked her to join him this summer.

So she said two words. "I accept."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts?<strong>

**Next chapter: Stars**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	34. Stars

**Me: Well. Don't I feel unloved.**

**Thank you _Terri M_ for being faithful in your reviewing!**

**This is: Stars**

**Annabeth, Percy**

**Summary preview: Wish upon a falling star...**

* * *

><p>"Do you ever feel as if the whole word is crushing you?" I asked.<p>

Percy looked down at me, which was kinda hard to do, considering we were in the meadow by the strawberry field and I was lying across his chest, looking up at the sky.

"Are you talking about the salad bar for Olympus again? Annabeth, I have told you a million-"

I snorted. "No, Seaweed Brain. I mean... Well, I don't really know what I mean. I just have this weird feeling. It like I can't breath without remembering something that someone told me to do. _Everyone_ wants something."

Percy frowned and leaned his head back down.

"Not everyone Wise Girl." he whispered.

I bit my lip. Way to go Annabeth. Guilt trip the only person who doesn't expect anything from you right now.

"Gods, Percy, I didn't mean _you, _I meant-"

Percy's hand clamped over my mouth.

"I know. But just remember that okay? When you need a break from all the stress, just come talk to me." he reminded me.

I smiled. "Thanks Percy."

"What are best friends and/or boyfriends for?"

I picked up his hand and laced his fingers through mine. I saw him smile, and he wrapped his other arm around me. We sat like that, until eventually I found what I was looking for.

"There's Zoe." I told him, pointing up at the stars.

"And the belt thing."

I laughed. "You are hopeless, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

I rolled my eyes. "You're so weird."

"Oddly enough, I've been told that as well. I think it was by Grover this time though. You guys seem to know me too well." he replied.

I was about to reply when the took our joined hands and pointed at the sky.

"Make a wish." he said, pointing at the quickly fading, falling star.

At that moment I had only one wish.

_I wish life could be this perfect forever._

It was a pretty pointless wish considering that we are demigods, but maybe the Fates would smile down on us.

The star was gone, Percy's arms were around me, and all was well.

Life was good.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Kinda short. Oh well. :)<strong>

**Next chapter: Hold My Hand**

**Review please!**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	35. Hold My Hand

**Me: I feel loved again. Thank you. :)**

**This is: Hold My Hand.**

**Ha, I bet you thought this was Percabeth. Nope! It is:**

**Rachel, Apollo**

**Summary preview: He would always be there for her.**

* * *

><p>When I decided to check in on my Oracle, I was not expecting to find her in her cave, crying.<p>

I blinked, kind of stunned, and slowly walked towards her. Looking over her should, I winced at the image on the page.

Death was everywhere. The sky was a gray-ish black, and nature seemed to be a war with itself.

The skeletons marching into battle didn't help.

Nor did the fact that Apollo recognized some of the fallen heroes, as did he know some of the fighting heroes.

It looked like they were at war with themselves.

But surely that was impossible right?

"Oh gods, Rachel. That is... heavy. But hey- don't, don't let it bother you too much okay? It's only a possible future. That doesn't mean that it will come true." I reassured her, very disturbed myself.

"Hold my hand." Rachel said suddenly, her voice soft. I started, surprised.

"What?" I asked, not because I didn't hear her, but because it was just so random.

She looked up at me with her tear-streaked gaze. "Please."

I felt a small tug in my gut, a remorse that my Oracle was hurting, and I felt terrible for not being able to help her with this.

So I took her hand, and was her silent comfort as she cried for the possible loss of her loved ones.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: RachelApollo? Friendship fluff?**

**Whatever you want it to be.**

**Next Chapter: Precious Treasure**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	36. Precious Treasure

**Me: Geez. I need more happy drabbles. I'm beginning to depress myself.**

**Lets see...**

**Chapter 37 or 41 will be a happy chapter. I don't know, about 37 it's more of an intense drabble, but definitely 41! And it shall be Percabeth fluff.**

**Yay.**

**This is: Precious Treasure**

**Nico**

**Summary preview: Forever his treasure.**

* * *

><p>As Nico was cleaning out his sock section, he felt his hand stab a piece of metal.<p>

Frowning, he pulled it out of the mountain of socks, and felt his breath catch when he saw what it was.

It was a mythomagic figure. His father to be exact.

The thing that had cost Bianca her life.

He thought about throwing it away, but that was like a slap in the face to her memory.

So he carefully wrapped it back up in a pair of socks, and placed them in the back of the sock's section.

* * *

><p>"Dad?"<p>

"Yes Logan?" Nico answered, attempting to sort out some paperwork.

"Why is a figure of Grandfather stuffed in my socks?"

Nico whirled around, and snatched the toy figure out of his son's hands, inspecting it for any more damage.

Logan blinked a few times, before closing his eyes, barely shaking his head, and re-opening his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Nico looked up at him, and tried to smile. It failed.

"Yeah. Why don't you go call your friends or the twins? I hear that they are going with Rachel to Camp this summer. See if you can talk them into taking you, if you still want to go."

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"You are a terrible liar." was all he said before heading back to his room.

Nico sighed, and wrapped the metal figure in newspaper, before setting it in his suitcase.

* * *

><p>With frail hands, Nico slowly unraveled the newspaper, and slightly smiled as he looked down at the miniature figure of Hades, his most precious treasure.<p>

"Thank you." he whispered to the girl that only he could see sitting in the chair beside him.

Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled. "Anything for you little brother." she told him, and watched as he set it on the bedside table, for his children to claim along with the will he knew they would need next time they came to see him.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Okay. That is it. Chapter 38 (I already wrote 37) will be happy. I don't care that it has one of the most depressing titles. I will write about Chiron's relatives if I have to.<strong>

**Next chapter: Eyes.**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	37. Eyes

**Me: Hello again guys. :)**

**This is: Eyes.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Annabeth, Percy, Thalia, Rachel, Nico, Luke/Kronos (in that order)**

**Summary preview: Eyes are the window to the soul.**

* * *

><p>Stormy Gray Eyes<p>

That could take a hero's breath away

Or leave you frozen in fear.

.

Sea Green Eyes

That were the exact image of his father's

And always swirling with emotions.

.

Electric Blue Eyes

That would flash at unexpected times

And could see into your very soul.

.

Bright Emerald Eyes

That was always filled with ideas and new creativity

And a shadow that she was far to young to have.

.

Deep Brown Eyes

That had seen far too many deaths

And were forever sealed off to the outside world.

.

Glaring Golden Eyes

That showed more then one soul

And maybe a hint of guilt.

.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Different, yet interesting. I do believe I am proud of this chapter.<strong>

**Next chapter: Abandoned.**

**Now to find a way to make it funny/ heartwarming. Anything that would make a person smile.**

**Percabeth maybe?**

**Something that has to do with Grover's bunny phobia?**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	38. Abandoned

**Me: I figured out what to do. You guys wanted a Grover phobia story, so here it is with our favorite adorable OC children.**

**Say hello again to Logan, Kayden, and Kirsten! (yes, I _did_ mean to put them in alphabetical order. :P) Oh, and the twins are ten while Logan is six.**

**I don't own PJO**

**Grover, Percy, Nico**

**Summary preview: THE BUNNY OF DOOM!**

* * *

><p>Kirsten was squealing when Grover arrived at the park to watch the kids, while Percy, Nico, Travis, Katie, and Rachel left to caught up on life.<p>

"Ahh!" she yelled running to Rachel.

"Look Rachel! Look what brother and Logan found!" she yelled, tugging on her sleeve.

Rachel looked down at her with a smiled and bent down to her level.

"What is it?" she asked.

Kirsten giggled and pointed to where the boys were attempting to caught the animal.

"It's a bunny, Rachel. And it's all alone." she said, a sad note to her voice.

Percy looked over and laughed. "Your son is chasing an abandoned rabbit, Nico."

Nico scowled at first, then laughed when the boys accidentally tripped each other.

"What are you _doing,_ Logan?" he asked catching his son's icy blue eyes he got from his mother.

Logan blinked dumbfounded as he stood back up. "I'm trying to caught a rabbit." he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Travis, Percy, and Rachel laughed, while Katie patted Nico's shoulder sympathetic.

"Come on, Nico. I see Grover coming." Katie said, walking towards the nearby cars.

Percy and Rachel lingered as Kirsten watched the exchange with amusement.

Adults were so _weird_.

Grover finally got in talking distance of her parents when Logan and Kayden caught the bunny.

"Uncle Grover!" she yelled, and threw herself into his outstretched arms.

Kirsten vaguely heard Rachel and her Katie mutter something about random family titles, when Kayden came over with the bunny in his hands.

"Look what we got Uncle Grover!" Kayden said excitedly as he showed the bunny to Grover.

Grover's high pitched scream could be heard across the park.

"Oh my gods, get that thing away from me!" he yelled, hiding behind Kirsten's dad.

Percy frowned. "I think our therapy for his phobia just made it worse." he told Rachel, and she stiffed a laugh.

"Opps."

"Well, G-man, we are off to go and... oh gods, we aren't shopping are we?" Percy said, a horrified look coming over his face.

"Yes!" two girl voices yelled.

Nico and Travis immediately looked terrified.

"You know, Katie, I don't think I'm feeling all that well. I think I should... watch the kids. Yeah, that's good. Watch the kids. Besides, Grover is too busy to watch them anyways..."

"Yeah, me too. Pounding headache. Besides, who in their right minds would trust Travis with children?" Nico threw in, his voice slightly higher then usual.

Percy let out a trembling laugh. "Right. Stomach ache. And why would anyone trust a son of Hades and Hermes with their child? Poseidon is much more parental." he said, his eyebrows raised and furrowed.

Grover grinned slightly. "Actually guys, I have the whole day off. You have plenty of time to hand out with your friends at the mall, I presume?" he said.

Rachel nodded.

"That is such an odd sentence to hear about adults. The mall is more of a teenager place isn't it? Oh well."

Kayden huffed, tired of being ignored for something that their dad's were to afraid to do.

"Don't be a chicken Dad. Just go with Rachel while Grover teaches us how to take care of the rabbit." he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The girls laughed, and the boys paled.

"You tell him, Kayden. You heard the kid, Grover. Teach him how to take care of the bunny. Be sure to remember the carrots. Take them back to my house. You know where the key is." Rachel instructed, and dragged Percy to the car.

The two ten year olds and one six year old looked up at Grover, expectantly.

He gave them what he hoped was a smile, but was more a grimace.

"S-so. Bunnies. Right. Well,"

* * *

><p><em>Three Hours later...<em>

The grown-ups came back to Percy's house and entered a living room of the oddest sight.

Kirsten had the bunny in her lap, and was petting it like the villians in old movies pet their cats.

Kayden was holding a baseball bat, looking around the room fearfully.

Logan looked bored with the entire thing and was chopping up carrots.

Grover was no where to be found.

"Why do I feel as if we just stepped into a horror movie?" Rachel whispered to Nico, her eyes scanning the house, alert.

Nico snorted. "Because we have the evil girl with the fluffy pet. We have the insane guy with a painful instrument. We have the bored guy with a knife, that will eventually end up insane. Now all we are looking for is the guy that is _already _insane." he whispered back.

Travis laughed. "Good luck with this guys. We're heading back home. Have fun searching for your missing babysitter." he said snickering, and the couple called Tratie walked out.

"Right. Well. I really don't want to know what happened to Grover. I have a feeling it isn't pleasant. Love you guys. Bye." Rachel said, and quickly left the house.

That left Percy and Nico, with their children.

"Logan," Nico started, trying to get his son's attention, seeing that Percy was too shocked to do much.

Logan looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"What happened to Grover?"

Logan snorted, then broke into hysterical laughter, Kirsten soon joining in. "It was funny, Nico." Kirsten said, grinning.

Kayden shuddered, while Logan smirked. It was an odd expression on a child. "I think he is hiding in the freezer. Maybe. He might have gone back to the attic inside a toy box again. You should ask him."

Percy slowly stepped further into his house and walked towards Kayden.

He genitally took the bat away from him, and set it out of his reach.

Kayden stared back, his face curious.

"You aren't going to start screaming about bunnies, are you?" he asked, blinking his huge Bambi eyes.

Kirsten snickered. "Uncle Grover had a hissy fit, Daddy. And all poor little Fluffy did was sniff him."

Logan laughed as if that was an inside joke.

"Okay. What I have gathered so far. The rabbit-"

"Fluffy." Kirsten interrupted calmly.

Percy gave her a side glance, then continued. "The rabbit apparently named Fluffy, sniffed Grover. Grover had a meltdown. Something about it scarred Kayden enough that he found an old baseball bat to protect himself. Logan and Kirsten find it hilarious. Grover then hid himself in the attic and then in the freezer. Is this correct?" Percy asked his daughter.

"I don't know what hilarious means, but I thought it was funny. And I'm guessing 'meltdown' means he started screaming. But yes. He-"

"THE BUNNIES WILL KILL US ALL!" Grover yelled running out of the freezer, past Nico and Percy without even glancing at them, then out of the house.

Kayden shuddered. "Uncle Grover scares me." he said softly.

Percy's mouth twitched. Then his lip quivered. Nico raised his eyebrows and half-smiled.

They glanced at each other, and laughed deeply.

One thought was on both of their minds.

That would have made an epic YouTube video.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts? Evil bunnies, deranged children, and screaming satyrs. My work here is done.<strong>

**Next Chapter: Dreams.**

**R&R.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	39. Dreams

**Me: One review= one smile for a few seconds.**

**Many reviews= bunches of smiles with inspiration to write the next chapter.**

**Do you see our predicament here?**

**Wow. I had this really long (over 2,000 words) chapter written about Annabeth seeing Percy's ghost after they were both in a car wreck, and everyone thinks she was just dreaming, but it didn't fit the theme I was going for. So I destroyed it. Kind of. You might see something similar in Dying. Mwhaha.**

**This is: Dream**

**I don't own PJO**

**Percy, Annabeth**

**Summary preview: Demigod dreams suck.**

* * *

><p><em>The world was on fire. Everything I could see was burning, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't put the flames out. People, kids, were screaming, and I could see lightning flash in the sky as hundreds of falling stars lit up the world even more.<em>

_In the distance I could see the Olympians fight giants, the demigods sometimes helping, sometimes fighting off the monsters on the ground._

_I could see all of my friends, even the few I had made at Camp Jupiter._

_But I could also see another army coming towards them. Gaia's demigod army._

_And I was leading it._

* * *

><p>Waking up because your girlfriends is screaming, isn't the best way of waking up, but I would take it, if it meant leaving that dream behind.<p>

"What? Are you okay? Is there an Canadian ninja outside?" I asked, sitting up so fast, I almost fell out of my chair.

Annabeth was on the couch, her eyes wide and terrified, breathing deeply.

"No... no. Sorry. Just," she shuddered. I began to stand up, but she waved me away.

"Just a bad dream. Oh gods, you don't think I woke up Sally and Paul, do you?" she said looking at their door, which was in perfect view, considering we were in the living room and all.

At that moment Mom and Paul rushed out of their room, their hair looking terrible.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Mom asked, her eyes scanning the room.

Annabeth blushed. "Nothing. I'm so sorry, Mrs. Blofis. I didn't mean to scare you. I just had a nightmare."

Mom's face softened, and she sat down beside Annabeth, patting her back like she had done for me, so many times before.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Annabeth looked up at me, a flash of fear wen through her eyes, and she squeezed them closed again.

"I- I don't know."

Mom glared at me, which I took as a signal to leave.

"Well, Paul, don't you think we should go... eat some breakfast?" I asked. Mom rolled her eyes, but smiled. "There are blue waffles from yesterday in the refrigerator, if you boys are hungry." she told us.

"Sweet." I said, standing up, and dragging Paul, with his barely awake self, out of the living room.

"Wait until they are done talking before going back in there." I told him, opening the refrigerator.

Paul nodded absentmindedly, and sat down at the table, looking at the night sky.

I glanced at our clock, and saw that it was only three thirty-three in the morning. I had stayed up later then this, finishing schoolwork before.

But I heated up my waffles, dumped a lot of syrup on them, and attacked them with my fork.

After about ten minutes, I finished my mountain of waffles, and started washing the dishes.

Annabeth and Mom came in soon after, and we all sat at the table.

Annabeth randomly hugged me, and I automatically hugged her back, though I didn't know what this was for.

"Did I ever tell you that I am so happy that you are alive?" she asked.

"Quiet a few times, I believe. Mostly when you came to Camp Jupiter and basically tackled me, before remembering that I might not know who you are."

She laughed softly. "Sorry about that. It was just so _good_ to see you. It was August, and you were turning eighteen, and I was so scared that you may not even be alive, and we wouldn't know until we got to New Rome, and gods, I'm using a really long run-on sentence, but I don't care."

I laughed then, and kissed her forehead. "I was fine. I'm still fine. And I plan on staying that way. And believe me, I did not mind that hug at all. You have no idea how insane I was feeling over your eyes and name. I didn't even know that you existed, but when I saw you step off that flying boat, gods, I was relieved that the amazing person in my head was real." I told her.

She smiled and then blinded a few times. "I just realized that my parents have no idea where I am. I told them I was going to go watch a movie with a friend, came here, watched about five horror movies, fell asleep, and never came home. This is going to take some serious explaining."

Mom spoke up, reminding me that we weren't the only two in the room.

"Yes, well, we can deal with that at a better hour. I hope you don't mind dear, but I am tired. I think Paul is asleep again, and while you both may not have school tomorrow, you do have to explain this to her parents. I suggest you go back to sleep as well." she said, and pulled semi-conscious Paul back to their room.

"Are you okay?" I asked when the door was closed.

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah. It was just a dream, right? You never did lead the Gaia army, and you never killed me." she said almost talking to herself.

I was a little disturbed that we had both had such similar dreams, but I didn't say anything, instead telling her to take my room upstairs, while I slept on the couch.

Annabeth was too tired to argue, so she left for my room and I layed on the couch, praying not to have to continue my earlier nightmare.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts?<strong>

**Next Chapter: Rated.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	40. Rated

**Me: As always, thanks so much to the people that review.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Silena, Charles**

**Summary preview: She was always a ten to him.**

* * *

><p>"Okay, Abby. What do you rate me?" Silena asked her little sister, looking over her third outfit.<p>

Abby gazed at her critically, before nodding. " Eight and a half. I like the tights/dress combo, but the shoes don't work well. Look for some ballet flats. And some jewelery." Abby said.

Silena nodded, threw the wedges back in the closet, found a pair of white ballet flats that would go perfectly with her white tights, and white and light gray stripped dress.

Her sister tossed a gray bangle at her, and Silena put it on.

"So?" she asked.

Abby nodded. "It looks good. Maybe a nine. Maybe."

"Abby! This is the first time I've seen Charlie in half a year, and you're telling me this is barely a _nine?_ I need a TEN!" she wailed.

Abby glared. "Well, I'm sorry that my closest isn't packed with as much stylish things as yours' is."

Silena was staying with her dad, but since she usually lived at camp, all of her favorite things were there.

Abby had only seen pictures of her room, but even Silena admitted that her closet was rather amazing.

But Charlie was stopping by here on his way to visit some relatives this winter break, and she HAD to look her best.

"Do you want me to suffer, Mom?" she muttered, running a brush through her hair yet again.

But then the doorbell was ringing, and that could only mean Charlie was here, so she ran downstairs to greet him.

Unfortunately, her dad got there first.

Charlie stood in the doorway, a flower in one hand, and nodded when he saw Silena's dad.

"Hey Charlie." she said, slightly bumping her dad out of the doorway.

"Daddy, this is Charlie. Charlie, this is Dad." she introduced them.

Her dad looked over Charlie, before holding out his hand.

Charlie shook it. "Charles Beckendorf, sir." he said, in that cute polite way of his.

Silena's dad smiled slightly, and moved back to let him in.

"So Charles-"

"I prefer to go by Beckendorf, sir."

Her dad raised an eyebrow, but continued. "Beckendorf, I heard you want to take my daughter on a date."

And so the interrogation began.

* * *

><p>About half a hour later, Silena had finally gotten Charlie away from her dad, and they were walking around town.<p>

"I am so sorry about that." she apologized. Charlie laughed.

"Don't worry about it. I was actually expected worse. You look great, by the way."

Silena blushed. "Thanks. I would look better, but I only had my sister's stuff to go through, and even though she rated me at barely a nine, I really did try and get a ten, 'cause it's the first time-"

"Silena?"

"Yeah?"

"You rambled about clothes a lot."

She blushed again. "Oh. Sorry."

Beckendorf grinned and put his hand through her's.

"It's okay. Besides, I always think you're a ten."

She felt a smile spread across her face, that not even the prospect of not seeing him until summer could fade.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Couple-y. I love Silena and Charles. Is it weird that I usually let them have a happy ending, yet I often destroy Percabeth? Maybe it's because they didn't have a happy ending and Percabeth did.<strong>

**I don't know.**

**Next Chapter: Teamwork**

**Percabeth Fluff! :)**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	41. Teamwork

**Me: Whoa. 12 reviews. Nice. :D Thanks so much!**

**(yes, most were from _HecateA_, but still. It was nice)**

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. My computer broke, I had to get it fixed, frantically write my mid-term paper, and then deal with a minor case of writer's block.**

**So, I am sorry for the wait.**

**This is: Teamwork.**

**I promised you Percabeth so Percabeth it is.**

**And since I had a minor case of writer's block, I already wrote _Tower _even though it's like 11 chapters away. I do believe that will be the weirdest chapter I have done yet, but I love it already.**

**Which brings me back to how we are only 9 more chapter away from Halfway point.**

**Intense.**

**Percy, Annabeth**

**Summary preview: They worked better as a team.**

* * *

><p>I looked at Annabeth, already know the strategy, knowing my role, knowing every step I would need to take, to bring this other side down.<p>

Now if only she didn't see the army of skeleton spiders creeping up behind her, we might get out of this victorious.

There was a scream in the far left line (that sounded weirdly guy-ish- Malcom no doubt), and Annabeth whirled around, then froze.

But then the other team of Capture the Flag was off, and my co-captain was just standing there, frozen as was many of her siblings.

"You will pay for this di Angelo." I muttered, before taking Annabeth by the hand, throwing random objects at Athena children I passed, while running to where she had previously guess we would need the most fighter at.

The Athena cabin seemed to get over their shock long enough to start running away to where we had agreed to meet up, the Apollo cabin close behind them.

We set up the ambush, though it wasn't as sturdy as I would like considering we had a late start, but it was better then nothing.

"Get it together guys! We lost the spiders way back there. Focus on the task we have now." I encouraged them, and watched as they slowly shook off their fear to be the clever children that would slowly destroy the other team.

I knew Annabeth must be so proud.

She tugged on my hand slightly to let me know that she was back from her nightmare.

"Sorry about that. It's just, you know," she shuddered.

"Spiders." we said at the same time, and she smiled at me, before we took our place at guarding the flag.

Annabeth let go of my hand as she placed her invisibility cap on, and hid near-by.

I, on the other hand, hid under the creek, and waited to freeze any demigod that got past our stationed team.

I didn't have to wait for very long.

A group of devilish children of Hermes, ran towards the flag, a smirk on their faces.

A wave of water stopped them, and suddenly, I was beside Annabeth, and we were fighting two on one.

From the outside, I think our fighting style looks somewhat like a dance.

Every step in sync, every move helping the other, every clash a point of encouragement.

A dangerous pair, we made.

Child of Athena and Poseidon.

Oh the irony.

* * *

><p>There was no shock when we won.<p>

After all, we work better using teamwork.

I grinned at Annabeth, and saw her smiled back, a hint of approval in her eyes.

I felt just a little bit better then.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts? Opinions? Sudden ending, I know. But, it had to end <em>somewhere,<em> and that was the best ending out of the four I wrote.**

**Next chapter: Standing Still.**

**I will warn you now, the fluff chapters will end with the next chapter.**

**Blame one too many depressing free-verse one-shots giving me inspiration to write.**

**Good news it, I should be able to post it tomorrow.**

**:)**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	42. Standing Still

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys!**

**And yes, _Lemariz_, I understand you not reviewing the Percabeth chapters.**

**This chapter is actually longer then the last. Weird.**

**This is: Standing Still**

**Like I said, this is in no way fluff. If you cry easily, then go find a tissue.**

**I find that I am in love with free-verses now. :)**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Percy**

**Summary preview: She just _stood_ there.**

* * *

><p>Oh look<p>

its _her_ **again**

coming to take him away.

{_doesn't he __**care**__ anymore?}_

_._

But she can forgive that.

After all, she's just standing still when it happens.

He says she is too _innocent_ to do much harm to anyone.

But when _she_ takes him **a w a y**

from her during their 'date' that she begins to

_**h a t e**_

_her._

_._

Though, maybe she _doesn't_ **absolutely**

You _know._

Hate her.

Maybe she's just _envious._

[her pride just took a fall]

.

But that isn't like she _enjoys_ hanging around her.

And when she explains this to _him_

he **r e j e c t s**

her.

{What happened to being _**friends?**__}_

.

So when she plucks at the frayed edges of her wrist

and an **upside-**_down_ frown crosses her face

she finds that she **doesn't** really _care_.

.

Then there is _screaming_

(dear gods, it just had to be _**her**_ didn't it?)

and somehow, she finds herself wondering if it was

**w o r t h **hearing the pain

in his voice.

[Sweet_amazing_gorgeous **Percy**]

.

She finds herself looking up into those

_swirlingswirlingswirling_

Sea - not ocean, _sea_- green eyes

and she can't help but feel as though she

**d i s s a p o i n t e d **

him yet again.

Lovely.

.

She doesn't even notice the blood everywhere.

She can clean it up later, right?

{since _when_ has she been in **denial****?**}

.

Maybe this is why he doesn't talk to her anymore.

_maybe**maybe**maybe_

Probably.

.

She finds it _ironic_ that he cares **now.**

Not when she was **wastingaway**

or when she _**criedoverhim.**_

**No.**

Only when she's freaking dying.

.

He is yelling desperate things at her.

[ was that an '_I love you_'?]

but she's seeing things now,

and the world starts spinning at an alarming rate.

And her laugh echos at the oddness of it all.

.

Then she closes her eyes.

{_Finally_ its **o v e r}**

and she can dream about him _**forever**__._

.

She looks **b e a u t i f u l**

in black_._

{all that innocence down the drain now, huh?}

.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: No, I am not going to tell you who she is. It would defeat the purpose.<strong>

**Next Chapter: Dying**

**Which is also written. I may post it later. :)**

**R&R please.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	43. Dying

**Me: Hey guys!**

**This is: Dying**

**It's kind of sad.**

**I don't own PJO. Rick Riordan does.**

**Annabeth, Percy**

**Summary preview: Friends 'til the end. Right?**

* * *

><p>"So, you're leaving for Europe?" he asked, his voice carefully clear of any pain he might be feeling.<p>

Annabeth bit her lip, but nodded slowly.

"Please don't be mad."

He stared back at her with those cold, unmoved eyes, but then he sighed, and pulled her in for a hug.

"You idiot. I thought children of Athena were suppose to be smart. I could never stay mad at you. Especially since you are finally get your dream to come true." he told her, smiling slightly.

She let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding, and grinned up at him.

"Don't worry," she said, pulling back. "I'll be back in three months. It's just a college trip. Then we can..." she trailed off at the expression on his face. Annabeth had never seen this expression on Percy, so she wasn't exactly sure what it was.

But then it was gone and he rolled his eyes. "Three months is a long time Wise Girl." was all he said, before helping her finish packing.

* * *

><p>Despite Percy's somewhat foreshadowing words, the three months went by fast for Annabeth. She traveled all over Europe, visiting every major tourist attraction, before doing a little exploring of her own.<p>

That was where she met Seth Lyons. He was cute, funny, and absolutely loved ancient monuments. His brown eyes could melt any harsh feelings that may have ruined her trip, and his swish-like hair was a chocolate brown.

He had always been in her class, but it wasn't until they got partnered up for a project that she started to actually get to know him.

They were friends. Nothing more.

Or, at least, that's what she told herself after talking to Percy on the phone, explaining how she wouldn't be home for yet another three months. Overall, he had taken it rather well.

If hanging up on her, then immediately calling back to apologize can be considered taking it well.

But then she was needed to help decipher some Ancient Greek writing everyone thought she learned at a different college.

* * *

><p>When she brought Seth home to meet Percy, Grover - at least she hoped Grover looked human enough to meet Seth- and Rachel, she didn't notice the wary look Percy gave her friend, nor the critical eye of the Oracle.<p>

She didn't notice the subtle hurt in Percy's voice when she called him to cancel their date three days later, because schoolwork she had put off those first few days when she had gotten back was finally catching up with her. She didn't even think of what Percy might feel like if he found out that after she called him, she called Seth, asking him if he wanted to come over and help her, and they ended up going to get take-out.

And barely made a dent in her schoolwork because they had gotten bored and started talking for hours.

She didn't notice when Percy stopped making dates with her, because he had figured out that it would only be canceled for what was suppose to be schoolwork. He knew was really just a few more hours to hang out with Seth.

And when Seth offered to take her to Greece again that summer, she didn't even hesitate before saying yes.

She didn't notice when Percy's birthday passed. And how could she have ever known that he had sat at home all day, refusing to leave with his friends, waiting on her to call? That when midnight passed, he left his house, woke up Rachel, found Nico, and had all of them go and party what was left of the night away?

She didn't get to the phone in time to hear the call from the Rachel, cussing her out in her voice mail for hurting Percy. And when she did get home from Greece, thought about it some, went to Percy's house because _something_ had happened while she was gone and found no one at Percy's apartment, well, he was probably at Camp Half-Blood right?

She didn't think to worry about it, while she was being taught how to ice skate with Seth, or watching a movie with homemade popcorn with Seth, or get ready to go back to college.

* * *

><p>When she graduated college, and flung her hat in the air for the second time in her life, her eyes immediately scanned the crowd for her special someone.<p>

Annabeth's friends teased her about him, and when she was swept up from behind and spun around, she was thrilled to see the person she was looking for.

She didn't notice Percy stand a few feet away, the warm smile disappearing off his face, before he melted back into the crowd, trying to ignore Seth and Annabeth's obvious INLOVE actions.

* * *

><p>When she sent the wedding invitation that allowed him to bring a guest, she didn't think he was actually going to bring a guest.<p>

But he did.

Percy's sea green eyes were distant, and perhaps a bit sad as he looked at her. Annabeth suddenly realized they had never really had a proper breakup.

Because, when she left for Europe four years ago, he hadn't really expected her to leave him, had he? Percy had never even made it a concern.

She could see it on his face, if she looked hard enough through her memories. The utter shock when she brought home a guy. When she stopped hanging out with her friends, and canceled dates for that guy.

The pain that laced his face when he saw her with him, that somehow every single time, she had never noticed. Her. Annabeth Chase, the girl who knew Percy Jackson better then anyone, hadn't noticed the slow heartbreak she was putting him through until her wedding day.

No wonder he had stopped inviting her to hang with their old group.

Strangely it had taken her seeing him with someone else to realize this.

On her wedding day with the guy Percy had probably tried to hate.

But he gave her a pained smile (gods how had she never _noticed_ how wrong his smile looked now days?) and introduced his date.

Her name was Asilinn. She was the girl that Percy had hung out with when all their friends were double dating and trying to hook them up with random people.

Asilinn left quietly, probably getting that they needed some time alone.

Then he hugged her, and a brief _real_ smile crossed his face as he looked back at her. It was gorgeous.

"You're beautiful, Wise Girl. Seth's a lucky guy. I'll see you later, okay?" for a second she saw that spark in her eyes that always died out when she came near and she felt amazing because it had been _so long_ since she had heard that nickname.

"Of course, Seaweed Brain." she told him. He must have seen the disappointment on her face, for he laughed lightly.

"I would talk more, but the line behind me is getting pretty long. So just, don't fall. That would suck, and would ruin the whole princess thing you have going for you in this dress." he told her.

She attempted to shove him, but he danced out of the way.

"Goodbye, daughter of Athena." he told her, real smile and all, before leaving her to face the rest of the guest.

* * *

><p>Percy started visiting her more often, keeping her updated on the lives of their friends, she no longer had time to hang out with.<p>

But when he visited her after she had her first child, she couldn't help but notice how tired he looked.

But when she asked, he just waved it off, saying that he was fine. Something about him not getting enough sleep.

She had frowned at that, because, in all honesty, what could he have been doing? The only time he mentioned Asilinn was when he was saying about how she cheated on him, but it was okay because he was going to breakup with her soon.

He didn't go to college, he was 26 without a job, unless you count the time he worked at Camp during the summer.

But she let it go, because he was holding her hand, and smiling that real smile.

"I'm glad you're okay." was all he said when she raised an eyebrow, before letting go of her hand, handing her daughter back to her, and leaving.

* * *

><p>She soon found out why he looked so tired.<p>

Percy had finally broken down, and saw a doctor. They said that nothing was wrong with him, so he stopped worrying about it.

At least, until he fainted while teaching swordplay at Camp.

Chiron said it was a type of poison that slowly sapped away at your strength until it left you weak beyond belief, tired, and eventually dead. Percy had been dealing with the poison for almost two years.

He was dying _fast_, and not even Chiron could stop it.

* * *

><p>So of course she immediately went to see him.<p>

After letting herself in the Camp's medical room, she could see him sitting in a chair, looking out the window.

He turned and stood up, when he saw who it was.

"Annabeth?" he asked, doubt in his voice, as he walked towards her. She thought about how she must look to the him. Her hair was styled differently, a little darker with sun kissed streaks, highlighting the few gray streaks in her hair that matched his, and she had a healthy tan.

Of course, he looked different too. His black hair, that had always been messy, was now dead looking, his skin a bleached tan that made him look vaguely sick, his face drawn, and a haunted look in those sea green eyes of his.

"Yeah." she whispered, her brain rejecting that this was who it was. Percy walked closer, and she noticed how thin he had gotten.

Her brain was convinced this wasn't him. The last time she had seen him, he was healthy. He was that miniature Poseidon, the boy so gorgeous, newcomers had thought he was a god. Heck, the first time Leo and Piper saw him, they thought he _was_ Poseidon.

No one would mistake him for a god now. Not with the haggered lines in his face, his strength gone.

"What are you doing here?"

She scoffed. "What? Do you really think I wouldn't come and see you? Who do you think I am?"

Percy shrugged. "Annabeth Lyons. Daughter of Athena. Partial savior of Olympus. Mother of two children. Friend of Artemis' Lieutenant, Oracle, and Lord of the Wild. My ex."

She frowned. "And you're best friend at that." she added. Percy raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment further.

"What? Since when have we not been friends?"

Percy blinked. "When you stopped bothering to talk to your friends, I suppose. When you screamed at Nico and me, ranting about how we were going to end up murdering your child, and to never show our faces around you again. Then deleted us off your Facebook friend page."

Annabeth blinked. "I don't remember that."

Percy sighed. "Yeah. I didn't think you would. Check your Facebook, if you don't believe me. It was about four months ago. So much for friends 'til the end."

A pang went through her.

"Percy..."

"Don't worry about it. We all say things that we don't mean. Anyways, I really shouldn't be giving you a hard time. Look at you, forgiving me long enough to come and see me before I die. I feel so wanted."

She wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh or glare more.

"Seriously though, thanks. I mean it. Thanks for coming to see me. I missed hanging out with you lately." he said suddenly, his voice completely serious.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "No problem, Seaweed Brain. Have.."

She took a deep breath and tried again. "Have you asked you dad about..?"

"Yeah. He said he couldn't interfere with human trifles, before ending the dream. So, as usual, the gods don't care, and won't help. Not even I get that much attention."

Annabeth frowned even deeper, her thoughts spinning, looking for an answer.

And when her phone went off, she didn't even see the abruent expression change on his face.

"Seth? Hey... No, I'm at Percy's. He hasn't been feeling all that great and I wanted to check up on him... What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I can be back soon. Sorry, I forgot that it was today... Sure. Totally... Love you too. Bye."

As she snapped her phone shut, she saw that Percy had moved to stand by the door.

"While it was great to see you for these past five minutes, you should probably go. No need in worrying the husband. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Annabeth blinked. "Are you sure? I can stay for a little while, if you... Yeah." she trailed off at the closed look in his eyes. But she gave him a hug anyways, re-memorizing the smell of him.

"Bye Percy." she said pulling away.

"Goodbye Wise Girl."

She couldn't shake the feeling that it was a last goodbye.

* * *

><p>When she got the call, the very next day, asking if Percy had told her anything about how he wanted his funeral planned, she knew that he was gone.<p>

Standing beside Grover at his funeral, hearing amazing stories told about him, with a fiery passion, Annabeth realized she hadn't been a true friend to Percy in years.

Percy's last words played through her head, while watching the casket lower.

_So much for friends 'til the end._

* * *

><p><strong>Me: :**

**I don't like this chapter. At all. But it's the longest one yet,(2,500-ish words!) and it worked with the chapter okay.**

**Opinions? I really don't care if you flame it. (as long as it's only this chapter of course ;)**

**Next chapter: Two Roads**

**I went back and read how in the beginning I said this wasn't just going to be a bunch of pairings even though it's like, 1-10 ratio. 1= actually person not daydreaming about someone else. 10= a pairing chapter.**

**So, Two Roads shall be a stand alone thing. I'm thinking Conner.**

**Review and I might even post it today! Because, look up at the top. 98 reviews already. Can we get 100+?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	44. Two Roads

**Me: I lied. This is an one-sided pairing chapter.**

**I feel so ashamed of myself.**

**On the awesome side, _100 Drabbles in the World of Percy Jackson_ has over 100 reviews! YEAH!**

**So it's cool if you suddenly break out into a pathetic show of a dance. You have a legit reason.**

**This is: Two Roads**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Enjoy!**

**Conner, Annabeth**

**Summary: As if he even had a chance.**

**P.S. Second chapter of the day. I uploaded _Dying_ earlier, in case you're wondering.**

* * *

><p>So yeah, looking down into her cloudy gray eyes was probably a bad choice. This entire conversation was a bad choice. Who were you to think you could ever compare with <em>Percy Jackson<em>? Or even Luke for that matter?

You were just one part of the Camp Half-Blood's pranking team, that constantly irritated her. Hades, all you ever did was just irritate her. How many times had you done something wrong that made her take time away from her best friends (and recently missing boyfriend)? Done something that had cut into her training time, and could have possibly destroyed the camp if not for her quick thinking?

Gods, sometimes you were certain she could do anything.

And for a split second you see her smile a little as if this _amuses_ her. And that hurts.

And you know instantly what Travis would say. _Bitch_.

But she _isn't_. Annabeth could never be that. She probably just thinks that this is some joke, or that you don't really _love_ her like you say you do.

After all, you _have_ done this before. You have broken hearts just for the fun of it. And you both know it.

What were you expecting really? For her to just smile and take your hand, promise to marry you, and fly away on Blackjack?

Please. You aren't _that_ desperate.

Right?

But then she shakes her head and the amusement fades from her eyes, to something similar to annoyance you have seen in her face so many times.

She ask if this is a joke. For one split second you start to shake your head, then stop. You have two choices here. Two roads to choose from.

Could you really put up with all the irritated, pitying glances she and Percy (because you _know_ he is going to come back one day and of _course_ she would tell him) would throw at you?

No.

So you laugh, picking the only left option, and says that she knows you too well. You know that the relief spreading across her face will haunt you for the rest of your life.

And dear gods, she way she smiles back at you, if it is only for a second, as she realizes she won't have to break your heart is gut-wrenching.

You watch her walk away, knowing she will never know how much you love her, and wonder if you just let the best moment of your life go.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Okay. Fine. Maybe it <em>is<em> sad. You're point?**

**Next Chapter: Illusion.**

**Which is already written, but probably won't be posted until tomorrow.**

**But guess what? IT ISN'T SAD! Not fluffy, nor intense either. Or funny. Just a brief visit into Percy's mind, whist he is pondering over things.**

**Reviews are lovely little notes that inspire me to write more!**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	45. Illusion

**Me: This is why I never double post. I never get reviews for the second post. :/**

**This is: Illusion**

**Percy**

**Summary preview: It was an illusion, this world. So who the heck was the girl demanding answers he didn't have?**

* * *

><p>In some distant, far off place in my mind, I knew that I was dreaming.<p>

I knew that I was not really sitting in the sand, by the beach in my swimming trunks, with a surfboard in one hand, a water bottle in the other.

Still, it was nice to let the less rational part of my brain take over.

But something was wrong. Something... something bad had happened. I could tell by the way the waves crashed softly at times, then harshly as if they were angry.

Was Dad being attacked again?

No, that was it. The water wouldn't be soft. It would be hurricane weather.

Was the girl who wouldn't leave my mind- Annabeth, I think?- in danger?

No, otherwise I would have never let myself enter this place.

Was I in danger?

That struck a distant memory, and I had a very bad feeling about whatever was happening to me in the waking world, outside this illusion.

Flashes of knives, spears, fist, and wolf teeth ran through my brain, as the sea waters churned furiously.

I saw a hint of red in the water, before it was gone.

A haunting tune played, echoing in the open space against the cliffs, that I could see in the distance.

I turned to stare out to sea.

It must have been hours later, when small movement caught my eye.

I whipped around ready to freeze someone in a block of ice, before seeing a girl walk out, hands in the air, her appearance constantly changing, until she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

"Well," she said, an almost sad tone to her voice. "I certainly can see why my daughters envy Annabeth. Dear gods, you're even more beautiful, not to mention powerful." she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Who are you?" I asked, annoyed at the casual way she was invading my mind.

The woman smirked. "The real question, Percy Jackson, is _who_ are _you?_"

I scowled. "You just answered yourself."

She sighed. "You are _so_ adorable, even after all these years. Think about it some, darling. I would hate for my stepmother to have ruined my favorite couple, without my consent. Tragedies only do so much. So listen to that voice in your head, telling you about the gray eyed girl. But," she said a glint in her eyes, "Don't be afraid to find love back at camp either. The new hero certainly has my blessing. My poor daughter.."

"What does this have to do with anything we were discussing?"

"Darling, please. You are the person the people you love want you to be. Find out who loves you; find out who you are. It's that simple."

"I am so confused."

She patted my arm. "Love is confusing. Don't worry. You'll sort it out soon. Goodbye, dear. I will be waiting for your choice!"

"What were the options?" I yelled out just as she flashed away, and I was left alone on the haunting beach, the illusion my own once more.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Random ending. Good I suppose. I'm guess you guys know who she is.<strong>

**Care to guess anyways?**

**Next chapter: Family.**

**Guess what, _Lemariz_? Remember that request from way back in Teamwork? Wells, it is happening. :)**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	46. Family

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys! :)**

**And yes, Aphrodite was the woman in Percy's illusion/dream.**

**This is: Family**

**Kind of got the idea off of the review _Lemariz_ left a few chapters back, about how I needed to do a father/son bonding thing with Nico and Hades. And then I started writing about Thalia and Zeus, Percy and Poseidon, and eventually just decided to use all of the gods with children.**

**This will be a Olympian parent/ child bonding thing. One child per Olympian after the war.**

**Percy, Poseidon/ Nico, Hades/ Annabeth, Athena/ Thalia, Zeus/ Pollux, Dionysus/ Clarisse, Ares/ Silena, Aphrodite/ Katie, Demeter/ Jake, Hephaestus/ Travis, Hermes/Will, Apollo/ Zoe, Artemis/ Nico, Percy, Hestia/ ?, Hera**

**Summary preview: Because you can never give up on your family**

* * *

><p><strong>Percy<strong>

"You did a very brave thing, turning down the gods offer of immortality." my father told me, as we sat at the beach. The Olympians were actually _trying_ to reach out to their children, and this was one of the many visits that were sure to come this summer.

I shrugged. "I knew the unclaimed kids needed the promise more then I need to be on a council of stuffy gods."

Poseidon snorted. "Who ever said you would be an Olympian? You could have ended up being some minor god that everyone ignored. Kind of like Hebe."

"Who?"

"My point exactly."

"Hey, no one forgets the savior of Olympus that quickly. I would be the cool god for at least a few decades."

"Keep telling yourself that, son."

"I will, thank you very much. So. How is life in the Big Blue?" I asked, vaguely interested.

"The usual. Triton keeps irritating the merfolk, the dolphins threaten to quite being peacemakers if the sharks keep bothering them, Cyclopes make hundreds of swords that will occasionally disappear for long periods of time, usually ending up somewhere by the Bermuda Triangle. Hippocampi swarm your brother."

"And they say being a god is boring."

Poseidon sighed. "Not always the best job, but you can never claim that it is boring."

I laughed. "I suppose you're right. I guess they complain about pay raises as well?"

"Oh, don't even get me started on that. I can understand Hades' torment if this is what he puts up with from dead people forever."

I laughed again, and saw that Dad's eyes had that inside-joke look to them, and I knew that despite the somewhat awkward conversation, he was truly glad to spend time with me.

And that was what made his visit memorable.

Not many demigods can say that their Olympian parent enjoys talking with them.

I'm one of the luckier ones I guess.

* * *

><p><strong>Nico<strong>

"No. Just...no."

"You're not even going to consider it?"

"You can't be serious."

"Do I look like I am joking?"

"You're Hades. You never look like you're joking. You're the freaking master of the poker face."

"So why would you ever think I would not be one-hundred percent serious about this?"

"Because!" I finally exploded, earning a glared from my father.

"You, you- you just aren't suppose to even care that I exist now that the war is over! I was always the less important child! Bianca was the better one. Bianca was the stronger one. Bianca was the favored one. I was just her pitiful little brother, that was smart enough to get you out of your family-hating mood long enough for you to realize that you're family needs you, and that _yes_ you need them too! Stop being nice to me!"

Hades raised an eyebrow, his form going from his usual king of the Underworld look to some McJagger look.

"Do you _want_ me to lock you inside a cell room for a few decades?"

I glared. "Of course not! I just don't see why you feel the need to watch over me. I'm perfectly fine staying at random parts of the globe."

Hades gave me a pointed look.

"What? I am! Peru is a great place to stat at when you don't have anywhere else to go!" I said defensively.

"Much better then my room here. Peru doesn't have people's chopped off heads staring back at them. And it won't be _that_ long until your cabin at camp is done building, so I can just stay there and-"

"Nico."

"Seriously, Mrs. Blofis and Percy don't _care_ that I sometimes crash at their place. Sally says that as long as I don't break anything I can stay as long as I need, so I can always stay there. Sure, I still haven't met Paul, but I don't think he would mind all that much, considering we saved his life a few weeks back. And-"

"Nico, you don't have to say yes. It was just a suggestion."

I blinked rapidly a few times. "I know. I just,- I don't really need to take up space here."

Hades rolled his eyes. "You're my _son_ Nico. You can stay here whenever you want to."

It was quiet for a long time.

"Thanks, then, I guess." I muttered finally. Hades smiled slightly.

"Anytime Nico."

And for the rest of the time I stayed there, (yeah, I decided to stay) I slowly remember that the god who lived here was my _Dad_.

And sometimes, family does nice things for family.

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth<strong>

"No, Percy, you can't change the laws of physics by just breathing underwater. You-"

"Hello, Annabeth."

I spun around to see my mother standing a few feet away from us. Glancing at my watch, I realized it was my 'bonding' time with her.

I quickly stood, getting off an amused Percy's lap, and vainly attempted to fix my hair.

"Lady Athena." Percy said, walking by her.

Mom stiffly acknowledged him, with a bow of her head.

"Catch you later Wise Girl." Percy called, walking towards the beach.

Athena scowled as she watched him walk away.

"That boy has no respect for his elders at all." she grumbled.

I shrugged. "He adores his mom and Paul, and shows the Big Three some respect. Actually, it's only Ares and Dionysus that he doesn't. The occasional teacher."

Mom glared at me, and I raised an eyebrow. "It's the truth."

She scowled deeper, and I sighed.

"How long does this have to last?" I asked. Athena's face soften.

"Twenty-five minutes longer." she hesitated, then said "I'm sorry that you don't share my views over the sea spawn."

That was about as close as an apology as I was going to get.

"No problem."

Athena hesitated again before sitting down beside me. "Can I see your designs for Olympus?"

I looked over at the laptop laying beside me, before remembering that this was my _mom_ and yeah, she hated my boyfriend, but there were _some_ things I enjoyed having her opinion on.

So I smiled, picked up the laptop, and showed her my designs, feeling just a little bit more confident at every praise she gave me over my work.

It's nice to know your mom cares, you know?

* * *

><p><strong>Thalia<strong>

"So."

"So."

"This is getting us no where."

Zeus frowned. I mean, I understand that _of course_ he wasn't thrilled with having to deal with me, considering it was _him_ after all, that made the law about not being apart of their childrens' lives, and now he was being forced to by the council.

"So, I'm just going to go back to the Hunt and let you out of our 'family' time. Okay? Okay." I said adjusting my bow, and started to walk out of the throne room.

"You did a great job in the war."

Zeus' voice stopped me mid-stride. Slowly, I turned and faced him again.

"Really?"

An amused smile crossed his face. "Yes, Thalia. I was- still am I suppose- proud of you."

A grin broke out over my face, despite my mind screaming at me to let it look like I didn't care.

But that hesitate smile was still on his face, so I let my grin stay on my face, as I sat down across from his throne.

It's not everyday you get complimented by the King of the Gods after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Pollux<strong>

_This is so weird._

My dad, the camp counselor, was leaning against the doorway to his cabin, a Diet Coke in his hands.

I was twirling a pen in my hand, and vaguely thought about the way Percy Jackson had made me stay out of the war when I broke my arm. _Personal favor_ he had said.

Favor for what, exactly?

I looked over at what used to be my twin brother's bunk, and closed my eyes against tears.

It hurt knowing that I wouldn't see him for the rest of my life.

"I miss him as well."

My eyes snapped open, and I looked Dionysus.

He was gazing at Castor's bed as well. Purple flames flickered in his eyes and I wondered what he was thinking.

"Castor?"

Dionysus rolled his eyes. "Who else?"

"You actually care?" I asked in disbelief. We had lived here most of our lives, and not once had Dionysus shown any sign of caring about his two children.

Dionysus huffed. "He was my _son_, Pollux, just as you are. Opposing the assumed rumor, I do care about _some_ things."

And then he gave me a half-smiled. I nodded back, and the silence reigned again.

Except, for some reason, this time it didn't feel that awkward.

* * *

><p><strong>Clarisse<strong>

"There's my girl!" Ares bellowed as I walked inside the throne room.

I was shivering, still freezing from the time I had spent in that _stupid_ piece of ice, and for a second, I thought he was going to slap me.

"That drakon-slaying? THAT'S what I'm talking about!" he cried, patting her shoulder.

I blinked rapidly, sure he was going to start pointing out all my flaws, but after a while when I realized he was truly _proud_ of me, I let myself smile some.

Maybe Dad wasn't such a punk after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Silena<strong>

I gazed back at my mother and wondered just what she thought of me.

Was she proud of me, being the leader of her cabin, or was she disappointed in me for just giving up everything after Charlie died?

Aphrodite smiled at me, and I still didn't know what she wanted to talk to me about.

"I am so sorry for your lost, Silena. I know how much he meant to you. But you _need _to get yourself together. Camp needs you. _We_ need you. Go and see if you can convince Clarisse to come and help protect the Empire State Building."

I sighed. "Mom, I know you mean well, but you have never met her, and when she says something, there is no changing her mind."

Aphrodite pondered this, then smiled again. "I believe in you."

And then she ended the dream.

And that was why I told Percy that I could go and talk Clarisse into coming.

Mom believed it, so _of course_ I could.

* * *

><p><strong>Katie<strong>

"Is that a moonlace?" I asked, looking down at the flower in my hands.

Demeter smiled and nodded. "Wow." I breathed.

Moonlace was extremely rare unless you were a god or goddess, even for a demigod. The fact that I was holding a seed in my hand, was mind blowing.

"Thanks Mom."

"I'm glad you like it. Now, what on Earth have you been eating? You look like you could use a good bowl of cereal."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway.

That's the Demeter I knew.

* * *

><p><strong>Jake<strong>

"You found a giant, metal, fire-breathing dragon and decided to take it on _yourself_? What possessed you to do that?"

I was about to shrug when I remembered that the full-body cast wouldn't allow it.

"I don't know. I thought I could fix it, and I really didn't want anyone else hurt."

Hephaestus sighed, and absentmindedly put out the fire that sprouted in his beard.

"Do you even understand what's wrong with it?" he asked finally.

I grimaced. "Not really, no. Beckendorf never told anyone how to take care of it- aside from Percy of course, who hasn't came back to camp yet- and everything we try to build to help us find out just ends up falling apart or attacking us." I narrowed my eyes.

"_You_ wouldn't have anything to do with this, would you?"

Hephaestus looked a little surprised. "Why would I willingly hurt my own children?"

I nodded. "Never mind then. Still... it would be nice to know how to fix it."

Dad sighed. "That _would_ be nice, wouldn't it? Don't worry too much about it son. It will either run itself into the ground eventually, or _someone_ will figure out how to fix it."

"Yeah. I guess so." I told him finally, deciding to just ignore the distant look in his eyes that told me our conversation was over.

That was just how Dad was.

* * *

><p><strong>Travis<strong>

_Do you have a rat?_ was the first thing George asked me when Dad walked into to swords room. Conner quickly shoved an... an _experiment_ into the _Danger_ pile and smiled innocently.

Hermes raised an eyebrow, but he was smiling so I figured it was safe enough for us not to accidentally kill ourselves while throwing the thing away, and pulled the experiment out of the _Danger_ pile, before dismantling it and throwing it in the bio-hazard box near the doorway.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Nope." I said, and Conner snickered.

"I see. Well,-"

_Do you have a rat or not_? George demanded.

_George. _Martha chided. _Ignore him. He's just annoyed that Hermes hasn't fed him this afternoon._ Martha explained.

"Thanks Martha. Oh and George? Get your own rat."

_Oh, you did not just go there._

Conner and Martha laughed.

"Well, I will be back in around a half hour then. See you later, bro." Conner said, before walking out of the room.

"You have pretty awesome snakes, Dad."

_Of course he does_. Martha and George said at the same time.

Hermes laughed. "Modest too. So, Travis," he said, a mischievous smile crossing his face. "Lead any good pranks lately?"

I smirked. "Ever heard of the Satyr Stamped?"

Hermes laughed again, and that's when I knew that we would get along just fine.

* * *

><p><strong>Will<strong>

I was currently wiping the floor in basketball against the Hermes cabin, when the Sun God decided to throw a basketball from three yards away and make us all look like idiots.

"Lord Apollo." the Hermes kids said, bowing respectfully.

Apollo waved them off, removing his iPod headphones.

"No need for 'Lord'. Makes me sound old." he told them grinning.

They nodded, somewhat confused, and stood there.

"Anyways, Chiron tells me this is parent/child day, and I saw Will first. I'm going to have to take away your best player for a little while. Losing team- make a comeback!" he told them, steering me away from the court.

"Don't let them make a comeback!" I yelled, before I was out of earshot.

I saw five children of Hermes nod, even though they were getting different messages.

"So Will, how would you feel about getting a driving lesson?"

I rolled my eyes. "I would tell you I already have my driving license."

Apollo grinned again. "Yes, but have you ever driven the Sun Chariot?"

I started back at Dad for a minute. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. It builds moral. Besides, the last time I let a demigod drive it, we had a blast. Evaporating a lake; great for parties. So what do you say?"

"Where are the keys?"

Apollo laughed, and tossed them, leading me towards the car.

It was pretty awesome to have the 'cool' god as a dad.

* * *

><p><strong>Zoe<strong>

I looked up at the sky, remembering old times, and saw the girl who I once would have called my best friend.

Thalia was gone now as well, after another two-thousand years of service, and I thought about how much it resembled Zoe's loss.

Thalia, of course, was still alive. Alive and in love, unfortunately. But she made her choice, as all Hunters do in the end, and I let her go.

"They never last more then two-thousand years, do they Zoe?" I asked, still looking at her group of stars.

Both girls I considered friends, both gone.

And now I was left to ponder the past, alone in my thoughts once more.

* * *

><p><strong>Nico, Percy<strong>

Nico di Angelo and Percy Jackson.

Two great heroes, two truly _seeing_ demigods. The only two demigods in years to honor her. To recognize her in the flames, keeping the hearth safe and warm.

Nico, when he was only ten, saw her in the flames, the first time he ever looked, and spoke with her.

Percy, who had also seen her, but had decided to ignore her in the beginning, gave her the greatest gift in the end.

Nico, who had lost so much, had also given much as well. His father's honor, Demeter's courage, and saved Percy's live more then once.

Percy, who had fortitude in the worse of settings, a knowledge that he could very well die in a week and still kept Olympus safe, and a miserable background before Camp Half-Blood. Not to mention his terrible luck.

Nico, who had shown her that demigods _do_ still care about the forgotten Olympians.

Percy, who had given her Hope, and a reason to stay strong in the end of it all.

Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo.

Her two demigods.

* * *

><p><strong>Hera<strong>

Looking down at the demigods and their parents actually getting along and working to built their relationships was a heartwarming sight.

It also meant certain death.

Hera was the goddess of Marriage. Every child down there aside from Athena, Apollo, and Hermes were a product of an affair.

There was a reason she despised demigods.

But then again, they were also a _family_ again, which she was also the goddess of.

Still. Getting _too_ close to their demigod children was never a good idea.

Hades, when Zeus felt a twinge of pity for his dying daughter that he barely knew, he turned her into a _tree._ Imagining what would happen if someone like Nico or Percy died in a war or monster attack was horrifying.

They were much too close to their parents.

Athena wouldn't let anything like that happen to her. Nor would Ares, Dionysus, and Apollo.

Hermes and Aphrodite though...

Hera scowled. They were all fools, to think that they could actually patch up years of disowning in half an hour with each of their children.

She was about to wave her hand through the Iris Message, when the image changed to a picture of her son Hephaestus actually using his social skills to attempt to talk with his children.

Something in her warmed just a little bit, and she realized that she felt vaguely proud of her disfigured son.

Maybe they all weren't fool after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts? You have no idea how long it took me to write this.<strong>

**This is the longest chapter I have EVER written for ANY of my stories.**

**Gosh.**

**Next chapter: Creation**

**I have absolutely no idea what I am going to write about. o.O**

**Reviews are welcomed.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	47. Creation

**Me: Wow! Thanks so much for the extra positive feedback guys! :D**

**This is: Creation**

**Nico, Rachel**

**Summary preview: Screw being polite.**

* * *

><p>I looked down at the piece of 'artwork' Rachel had made and was giving me for my birthday, and was desperately trying to think of something non-horrible about it.<p>

It was a freaking _rainbow painting_. _**Rainbow**__._ The sad part was, I didn't even know what the rainbow thing was. This was possibly the worse thing I had ever gotten.

Percy snickering in the background didn't help, nor did Annabeth's smirk. And I was pretty sure I saw a evil glint in Rachel's eyes before she blinked.

"Well? What do you think of my creation?" she asked, her voice just a hint to innocent.

They were all trying to murder me with kindness.

"Oh. Wow. How..thoug.- okay, I give up. This is the worst piece of artwork anyone has ever given me. What the Hades _is_ it exactly? Some deformed eyeball, or something? Or cat-thing?" I asked her, finally giving up on politeness.

Percy burst out laughing, and Annabeth's smirk turned to giggles. Rachel put on a mock look of hurt.

"Thanks so much Nico." Rachel said a sarcastic edge to her voice, before frowning "You didn't have to be so _blunt_ about it. A simple this-looks-horrible would have worked fine. No need to get all insulting. For you information this took me three days to paint with my feet, and I was rather-" a sudden overpowering twitch came over her lips, until she was laughing as hard as Percy had.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, okay. Percy, Annabeth, come find me when she gets a hold of herself. I'm going to go put being legally able to drink to use." I told them, and walked out of Percy's apartment.

And if the creation just happened to slide out of my fingers into a dumpster on the way out, well, accidents happen right?

* * *

><p><strong>Me: O_o<strong>

**Yeah, this was the best thing I could come up with. Sorry. Thoughts?**

**Next Chapter: Childhood**

**This could be about anyone, considering that they pretty much have horrible childhoods. (excluding Grover and the side characters. I don't know anything about Katie, Malcom, the Stolls, Clarisse, or Chris.)**

**Reviews are lovely. Like _really_ lovely. ;)**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	48. Childhood

**Me: I've was conflicted. Like, staring at the computer for twenty minutes conflicted.**

**Should I do another Family thing, where the characters who's background we somewhat know, or a freeverse (which I love doing) or focus on one specific person?**

**And then _Puppykin98_ reviewed, and I fell in love with the idea.**

**I don't own PJO**

**This chapter refers to a lot of the others that were a Future drabble. Just letting you know.**

**Nico, OC**

**Summary preview: From the first breath, to the college application.**

* * *

><p><em>May 23, 2019 5:38 A.M.<em>

I glanced down at child sleeping in my arms, and for a moment, I was terrified of all the possible things that could go wrong in that very second.

Amanda squeezed my hand, letting me know that she was there, and gave me a soft smile, her icy blue eyes that were so unlike her mothers', blazing with pride, dimming the ghostly white... well, _everything_ around us.

"It will be okay, Nico. You're going to be an amazing father." she told me, reading my emotions like no one else ever could.

I smiled weakly down at her, as the fear faded somewhat, but then Logan- my son that had been born only hours ago- woke up and started crying.

The panic came back in a rush.

"Oh my gods, is he okay? What happened? What-" I panicked, until an exhausted Percy came over, took Logan, and handed him to the waiting nurse, who rocked him back and forth genitally, until Logan eventually stopped crying and just fell back asleep.

I gave Percy a sheepish smile and he rolled his eyes.

"You so owe me. 3:32 _A__.M._ Nico. A freaking M. I technically, I haven't slept in _two days_ after pulling an all-nighter yesterday. So get your wallet out, and go and buy me a very large cup of coffee." he said, a mixture of amusement and annoyance on his face.

Annabeth and Rachel were passed out in the hard, unforgiving waiting room chairs, and didn't even stir when I walked past them.

I bought Percy's coffee-black, no anything-, getting myself one as well, and was about to walk back in, until I saw Percy standing outside the door.

"She fell asleep." he told me, referring to Amanda, removing his cup of coffee from my hands.

"Okay." I answered, and sat down, drinking my coffee, deep in thought.

* * *

><p><em>May 27, 2019 3:56 P.M.<em>

They were lucky I had just given Logan to Annabeth to hold when they told me.

I mean, yeah, I felt it earlier that day, but I just hadn't wanted to _believe_ it.

Amanda couldn't just have gone and left me with our child to raise on my own. She couldn't have expected me to be able to do this without her.

She couldn't have died.

Percy and Rachel were there suddenly comforting me. I looked over at Annabeth and saw she was holding Logan out for me to hold. I took him, and would always remember how I felt when he opened his eyes, and I realized that he had the _**exact**_ same shade of blue eyes as Amanda.

I would always remember the way I almost just shut down, and just might have if he hadn't grabbed one of my fingers and stared at me with innocent eyes.

So I put on a brave face, thanked the nurses for telling me, and watched Logan fall asleep.

* * *

><p><em>May 23, 2020 11:13 A.M.<em>

"No, Annabeth, I do _not_ want a white cake. Get black, or even blue, but do _not_ get him a white birthday cake. The color freaks him out as much as it does me." I told her, cell phone at my ear, diapers in the other.

"Yeah... yeah, YES Annabeth. I got it. Look, I have to go, okay? And tell Percy that Chiron needs to speak with him. No, I don't know why, but that's what he told me. Yeah. Good. Bye. Wait what? WAIT! No, don't hang-"

I sighed and snapped the phone shut, and warily gazed down at Logan.

"I will be a happy guy when you are potty-trained." I muttered.

* * *

><p><em>May 23, 2020 1:24 P.M.<em>

"Happy birthday, Logan!" Rachel cried, whilst eyeballing the icing on her finger.

Logan just stared at her. For a baby, he was unusually quiet. Annabeth was attempting to get a piece of cake for herself, when Kayden bounded into the room, a grin on his face.

"Nico! Guess what, Nico!" he cried, his twin sister coming in behind him.

"What?" I asked, faintly amused.

"We're in Kindergarten! Momma says that she is proud of us." Kirsten said, shoving her brother out of the way, her arms open for a hug.

I blinked down at her, and patted her head. She frowned for a moment then shrugged, took her brother's arm, and grabbing Annabeth's plate on her way out.

"HEY!" Annabeth yelled, running after her giggling children. Rachel shook her head, and Logan smeared icing on his face.

"This was a bad idea." I muttered.

As if on cue, Percy stumbled into the room, tripped, and tipped over the table holding the cake. Which, just happened to you know. Fall on him.

Rachel and I broke out laughing, as we watched Percy stand up, a horrified look on his face as he scooped icing off the back of his head.

"My hair." he whispered. Annabeth looked in, laughed, wiped a piece of icing off, and smeared it on his nose, said "That's a good look for you, Seaweed Brain." before going to look the twins again.

And then Logan started to cry, which just made Rachel laugh harder.

"Look what you did, Percy." she said, taking deep breaths.

I rolled my eyes, and picked Logan up."Happy Birthday, kiddo." I told him, rubbing his back, right as Thalia threw open the door, a huge black dog stuffed animal in her hand.

"I though it would help him not freak out too much when he meets Mrs. O'Leary." she said in defense, after it completely freaked Logan out.

"Ha. Look how well that turned out, Pinecone Face." I told her, right before she punched my arm.

"Shuddup." she muttered, her face turning red.

* * *

><p><em>October 17, 2020 5:47 P.M.<em>

"So, he still doesn't know how to walk yet?" Rachel asked, looked at Logan sitting in my lap.

"No. Well, he can somewhat stand on his own, but he hasn't taken his first steps that I know of." I explained.

Rachel nodded. "Let me see him." she said. I handed him over.

"Okay, Nico, stand up. Hey little guy. Do you see your daddy over there? Yeah?" she asked once I had stood up, and Logan had nodded.

"Good. Now can you walk over to him and give him a hug?" she asked. Logan frowned, but stood up anyways.

He feel down a few times, but right before I was about to tell Rachel it wasn't going to happen today, he put one foot in front of the other, and slowly wobbled to me.

I grinned and hug him. "Great job Logan!" Rachel and I said at the same time.

Logan smiled and looked at Rachel. "Momma."

We both froze. "Did he just-?"

"Yeah." I whispered.

It was silent for a moment. Then Rachel bent down, scooped Logan up, and gave him a half-smile.

"See? I knew you weren't mute. But, hey, call me Ra for the time being. I'm not a mom yet." she said with an airy laugh.

Logan blinked. "Momma?"

Rachel shook her head. "Nope. Ra. As in, the Egyptian sun god."

I raised an eyebrow and Rachel smirked. "That's right, Death Breath. I get to be a sun god."

A knock came to the door. I warily opened it, realizing just what Rachel had said.

Apollo's smirk was suddenly in my doorway.

"Did I hear my title?" he asked, walking towards the couch. Rachel looked bewildered, then bit her lip.

"Ah, no. I was talking about Ra. The Egyptian sun god. Not you. Sorry." she apologized.

Apollo's face grew dark. "The senile old guy those two misfits woke up, forever ago?" he asked.

I was completely confused as we stood there in silence.

"Are you saying that there are Egyptian gods still around as well?"I asked. Apollo's eyes widdened as a loud crash of thunder filled the sky and it started to rain.

"Where did you get that idea? Nah. Anyways, I think Zeus just called a meeting. See you later." he said hastily, standing up and sprinting towards the door.

"By the way, never trust the Per Ankh." he whispered urgently, then left.

"I will never understand that guy. Sometimes I think he _likes_ confusing people."

We heard a soft sound of thunder and we both jumped.

Rachel grimaced. "SORRY APOLLO!" she yelled and it thundered again.

"Ra?" Logan finally spoke up, pointing to her. Rachel smiled.

"Yup. Ra." she said.

Logan pointed to me. "Dada," then pointed to Rachel. "Ra."

"Very good, Kiddo. Now, I should probably go before I learn any more unwanted facts." she said, handing Logan back to me, smiled, then left.

I had just watched my son take his first steps, say his first words, and learned that there may very well be other gods roaming the U.S.A.

Yeah, it could be considered an eventful day.

* * *

><p><em>January 6, 2021 2:43 P.M.<em>

"Look, I don't _know_ what's wrong with him! Gods, Rachel I've never even seen him get _sick_ before!" I yelled into the phone, and I looked through the internet for something to break Logan's fever.

"No need to get huffy. Why didn't you just call Percabeth, or even Tratie for that matter? Katie would be a better pick then me." she said, referring to the nicknames the she had given the married couples.

"Percy won't be home for another two and a half hours, nor will Annabeth. I don't have Katie's number, and I certainly don't want Travis' advice. You're the last resort."

"Gee, thanks." she said sarcastically. "Well, have you tried just taking him to the doctor?

I froze. "Um, no, I haven't actually."

Rachel snorted. "You idiot. Go, and call me later to tell me if he's okay, or not."

I nodded, even though I knew she couldn't see me, and hung up, grabbing my coat and keys on the way to Logan's room.

* * *

><p><em>August 27, 2023 4:28 P.M.<em>

I opened the door to my house, and and down on the couch, a lost expression on my face.

I had just talked to Thalia one the phone and had it confirmed that Annabeth was dead.

She told me that Percy had kind of snapped and went into this grief-stage, and that's where Rachel would be for the next few days.

I closed my eyes, and then heard the babysitter came back into the room.

"Mr. di Angelo?" she said quietly. My eyes snapped open and she gave me a nervous grin, her eyebrows scrunched into a furrow.

"Is my shift over?" she asked. I nodded, pulled out my wallet from the back pocket, and handed her a twenty.

"Thanks. Logan is in his room, asleep. He should be up in a little while, since his nap started at 2:00. So, um, thanks. Bye." she said, and quickly ran out the door.

I looked around, and saw every shadow lacing the walls, the hallway to the left of me shrouded in them, the ceiling shadowy shapes, the way they seemed to move with every heartbeat, dancing just out of the corner of my eyes.

Gods, I hated being a demigod.

I shook my head, trying to stop the dancing, got off the couch, and walked to Logan's room.

He was just sitting there, watching the doorway, as if waiting for him to walk through.

Okay, yeah, my son freaked me out sometimes.

"Hi, Daddy." he said, jumping off his bed and walked towards me. I ruffled his hair before leading him into the living room.

"Hey. Look, Logan, I'm not going to be home for a few days. Okay? Do you remember Grandma Susan and Grandpa Arnold?" I asked, thinking of Amanda's parents.

Logan nodded. "Great. Well, how would you like to go visit them for awhile? It would be fun...ish." I told him.

Logan frowned. "Why?"

Of course. The typical child response. "Because I need to be somewhere for a few days. But I'll be back. Don't worry."

"Why?"

"Percy needs to talk to me."

"Will Anna be there?" Logan asked, using the nickname we had given her so that the little kids could pronounce her name.

I winced. "Not really, no."

Logan's icy blue eyes narrowed. "But _why_? Is she still at the doctors?"

"Nope. She's with your other Grandpa now. But don't worry. We'll see her again one day." I forced a light tone into my voice.

Logan frown became more pronounced. "But she didn't say goodbye to us."

I closed my eyes. "No. She didn't say goodbye to us this time. Not even to Percy." I told him, picked him up, and went to go pack his things.

Susan and Arnold would just have to have a surprise visit from their only grandchild and son-in-law.

* * *

><p><em>August 19, 2024 7:57 A.M.<em>

"Remember not to talk back to the teacher, try and make some friends, and that I love you and will be back after school, okay?" I asked Logan, standing in front of his classroom's door, like all the other parents.

I gave him a brief hug, ruffled his hair, and guided him tot he doorway.

"Have a great first day of school, kiddo." I said, and smiled as he only looked inside with a curious expression and didn't start to cry.

I watched him walk away, and felt insanely proud of him and a bit sad for something so little.

* * *

><p><em>December 24, 2029 9:34 A.M.<em>

"Yes, Rachel, I'm getting old. But you know what? You're older then me, so I can still feel better about myself. Hey, don't blame me for you unwanted time of birth. I'm the death kid, remember? Don't you dare hang -!" I said, and then frowned at the now silent phone.

Logan looked up from the game he was playing, and gave me that rare smile of his.

"We're still going to Percy's for Christmas this year, right Dad? I mean, I already made him, the twins, and Rachel a card. I made Thalia one too, but we haven't seen her in a while." Logan explained.

I nodded, then grabbed the suitcase off my desk and rummaged through some papers that probably needed to be sorted out before the week was up, and felt slightly irritated when I couldn't find the gift cards I had hidden there.

Oh well. I could just look for them later.

But when I looked up to continue the conversation, I saw that Logan was already back in his game.

* * *

><p><em>March 24, 2031<em>

"So Dad. I've been thinking and I would-"

"You are not getting a laptop. The last one I gave you didn't even last a week."

"But Dad, that was Kayd-"

"I don't care."

"Dad-"

"You're still not getting the laptop."

Logan huffed. "I _wasn't _going to _ask_ for one. I was just going to say that I was wondering if I could go hang out with some friends."

My eyebrows went up. "Oh. Sure. Be back before nine unless you're staying with one of them."

Logan nodded, and grabbed his phone off the table. "I'll call you and let you know around eight." he said, before disappearing into his room.

It just so happened that Rachel called me and told me that Percy was planning to leave his house and children in the care of Travis Stoll.

This required some devious planning, so I left a note on the door, telling Logan where to find me.

Then I headed out for Rachel's.

* * *

><p><em>August 18, 2032 2:11 P.M.<em>

"Nico!"

"What?" I yelled back.

Percy ran into the room with a panicked expression on his face.

"Why didn't you _tell_ anyone that Logan didn't know about the gods? Kirsten was just talking about it with Kayden and Rachel when he walked in and started asking question, to which Kayden started explaining, and well, it's gone down hill."

I took a deep breath and walked towards the living room.

Four heads snapped towards me and then Logan looked vaguely relieved.

"Oh, thank God. Dad, please tell me that they are all insane."

I shrugged. "Well, they are, but not for the reason you think." I told him, ignoring the outraged "HEY!"s.

"What-"

"The Greek and Roman gods are real Logan. Hades is my father, Poseidon is Percy's father, Rachel over there is a freaking Oracle of Apollo, Travis' is-"

"If you said mentally challenged I will personally laugh with you." Travis spoke up, walking in with Conner and Katie.

I rolled my eyes. "Good for you." I told him, before turning back to Logan.

"Anyway, Travis and Conner are sons of Hermes, whilst Katie is a daughter of Demeter."

Logan stared back at us with disbelief.

"No way."

Conner sighed.

"That's what we all said in the beginning. Well, aside from Rachel. She kind of always knew. Side affect of the effect before the Oracle."

Travis' eyes lit up. "What about the Riptide?" he asked Percy.

Rachel gave me a look like _I -hope-to-gods-he-doesn't-realize-that's-what-we-used-for-the-twins._

I shared her panic.

Percy was glancing at the twins warily.

"I don't know."

Kirsten waved it off. "Don't worry about us freaking out. We already know it's the pen in your pocket."

Percy froze. "And just _how _do you know that?" he asked, an irritated expression of his face as he glared at Rachel.

Kayden glared at Kirsten. "Way to go." he hissed.

I was slowly backing out of the room.

"Rachel? How do they know the Riptide is my pen?" Percy demanded.

Rachel scanned the room- for either me or exits I presume- and narrowed her eyes when she didn't find either.

"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed randomly. Percy glare didn't waver. She sighed.

"Fine. Well, you see, Nico thought it would be a great idea for them to know about the gods and goddess-"

"Lies." I said, my voice a little louder then usual, walking back into the room.

"It was all Rachel's idea really. She wanted to know if they had the sight, so she nicked your pen- still don't know how that happened by the way- and uncapped it in the presents of your children. I am please to say, no one fainted." I drawled, leaning against a wall.

"_Traitor_" Rachel mouthed at me.

I smirked in response.

"I am totally lost." Logan spoke up.

Kirsten pulled out a pen. Riptide to be exact.

Percy stared at it in amazement. "_How_ do people keep _doing that?_" he asked, but this time it wasn't as annoyed.

Rachel and Kirsten smirked.

"Anyways, my dear little cousin, this is the Riptide. You may bask in it's awesomeness later. For now-" she uncapped the pen and the sword that almost cut my head off in the Underworld appeared.

Logan stared.

And stared.

And stared.

Then he started laughing.

"So you're all being serious? This isn't just some joke? Oh man, this is cool." he said.

Kayden smiled. "Welcome to the demigod world, Logan. From what I've heard, it's not a very boring place." and with that, we continued to tell him interesting facts about the gods that we had learned over time.

* * *

><p><em>June 1, 2033 12:23 P.M.<em>

"Hey Dad, do you remember last week when you told me to call Rachel and find out if I could still go to camp? Yeah, well I was not imagining it to look like this."Logan said.

I snorted. "It's like a mini neighborhood. Don't worry, I'm sure Hades won't mind you staying in his Cabin.

Logan smirked. "You know I've never been to camp, while the twins have been like, at least four times over their winter and summer breaks combined."

"I forgot that we told them.."

Logan gave me a weird look, but then the twin walked over, and I realized that they were going to be adults in November.

And that Logan was already 14, well past the age that I was when I first came to camp.

I realized that he was really growing up, and that maybe I should have brought him here a long time ago.

* * *

><p><em>April 6, 2035 6:54 P.M.<em>

"I won't be back until eleven or so, Dad." Logan told me, basically promising to stay within curfew.

"Have fun."I told him, hearing the door slam shut as Logan went to either a party or date with his newest girlfriend, gazing down at the paper in my hands.

It was a fairly old picture from back in 2015, with a recently married Annabeth and Percy, Thalia, Grover, Rachel, and me sitting on one of the hills in Camp Half-Blood.

The day had been clear, with a few puffy clouds over head, the grass was still that new-spring green, and we were all in various positions.

Annabeth and Percy were laying by each other, looking at the the sky, Thalia was off to the side talking with Rachel who both were sitting cross-legged in the grass, Grover was playing his reed pipes by a patch of unusually bright flowers, and I was sitting with my back against a tree, near-by Thalia and Rachel.

That had been the day that I met Amanda.

She had seen us, and being a daughter of Aphrodite, couldn't help but capture the perfect scene from afar.

Later that day she had given me the film, asking me if I could show it to the others.

I had found myself talking with her for half a hour before I saw Annabeth in the distance and remembered that I was suppose to be showing off a picture.

That had been the beginning of everything.

The door opened and Logan came back in.

When he saw my curious expression he shrugged.

"I forgot my phone. Hey, is that Annabeth?" he asked, looking down at the picture.

"Yeah. Thalia and Grover are there as well." I told him. Logan winced.

"Grover... that name brings back images of bunnies and freezers. And Kayden with a baseball bat." he told me, a frown marring his face.

I started laughing. "Gods, that was a great day. I think that was the only time you met him. Usually he's an okay guy to hang with. But the rabbit happened to be there..." I trailed off still laughing.

Logan gave me a bemused look, then smirked at the picture.

"Even then you were a loner. Gods, look at your _hair_. Is that Rachel? She has paint smeared across her face." he observed, then looked up questioning.

"This picture was taken from a distance away. Who took it?"

I smiled softly. "Your mother. She liked capturing perfect scenes on camera for the world to enjoy." I told him.

Logan's eyes widened. I didn't talk much about Amanda and he was probably savoring this moment.

After awhile he broke the sudden silence.

"Do you have any other pictures she took?"

I nodded. "You know that scrapbook I always told you was of your baby pictures? Yeah, I lied. Go find it. I think it even has a few pictures of her in it."

Logan huffed, but left to go get the scrapbook.

And when he came back and we studied the images caught on camera, I realized that Logan never even bothered to get his phone.

* * *

><p><em>January 31, 2037 3:57 P.M.<em>

"I have no idea where I'm going for college." Logan admitted.

I gave him a wary look. "And I'm suppose to help you with this how exactly?"

"You're my dad. You have to have had _some_ idea of where you want me to go." Logan explained.

I blinked. "I don't actually. I thought you like being independent and free to make your own choices now that you are only a few months away from being an adult."

Logan glared at me. "I prefer not to have Kirsten's words thrown back at me. Just because I agreed never meant that I can have them used against me."

"Okay. Fine. How's this? 'I'm almost an adult, Dad. I can do whatever the Hades I want to.'" I countered.

Logan huffed. "I was a scullen teenager, what can I say? Now will you help me?"

I smirked. "You are not suppose to get outside influences."

"Gods! Do you remember everything from that stupid pep talk the teachers must have given you in your youth?" Logan demanded.

"Youth. Sophisticated." I noted.

Logan groaned. "You are no help, whatsoever." he complained.

"I could always call Rachel. Or Percy. Hell, I could even call Travis if you're that desperate."

Logan's head shot up. "YES! That's _perfect_! Call Travis! I must speak with him."

I looked back bewildered.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Dad! This is _Travis_. He'll know the fun colleges."

I blinked again. "You're going to end up in clown college." I told him, but gave him Travis' phone number away.

As I left his room, I could hear "Hey Katie? I needed to talk to Travis."

* * *

><p><em>September 1, 2037<em>

I walked with Logan back to the car and stood there.

His icy blue eyes were shining. "This is going to be a great year." he told me.

"I'm glad." I told him.

And then he did something totally surprising. Logan hugged me.

After a few awkward seconds, I somewhat hugged him back.

"I'm going to miss you, Dad." he told me.

"I'm going to miss you too. Have a great year. Call me occasionally, okay?"

"You got it. Love you."

I got into the car. "Love you too. Bye." I said and watched him walk away.

In my mind's eye, I mentally compared him to the ten year old who hardly spoke to me, then the the thirteen year old who just found out about gods. Then to the sixteen year old who sat at the kitchen table with me, looking over his mother's artwork.

And I saw that in no way was Logan di Angelo a child any longer.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I hate this chapter with a burning passion. I left out some seriously important milestones in a child's life. BUT I WANTED IT UP TODAY. <strong>

_**(because after this I will probably not update until sometime in December and I don't have time to write another.) **_

**So I posted it and hoped to God that you guys don't hate it as much as I do.**

**I just turned Logan AND poor Nico into a Gary Stu... :(**

**The Egyptian thing was totally unplanned when I first wrote it, but then I was like Oh yeah, Rick Riordan also rights about a god named Ra and I had to put it in.**

**I love irony. (The prophet of Apollo using a different Sun God's name)**

**My jaw just dropped. You thought the Family was long? THIS IS OVER 5,000 WORDS. Yeah. It's definitely the longest chapter I have ever written.**

**Next Chapter: Stripes.**

**Reviews= Good Mood  
>Good Mood= Inspiration<br>Inspiration= Updates.**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	49. Stripes

**Me: It seems that I was wrong. Yay. But seriously, you have no idea the amount of homework I am slacking to write this.**

**I mean, it still wouldn't be getting done, seeing how my roommates and I understand none of it, and Jared refuses to answer his phone (my insanely smart bestie) so I am alone with only myself and a computer to type on.**

**Still. Don't expect updates. Let them be a surprise.**

**This is: Stripes**

**I suddenly feel really bad. Should I stop using the exact same characters over and over and _over_? Probably. So here it is,**

**Do you guys want to see HOO characters in this?**

**Cause I have a TON of ideas for them, that will probably never see the light of day, unless I decide to do yet another one-shot drabble story after this. I don't know. Maybe you adore the idea of only the original characters. Maybe you think I should be more accepting.**

**Anyways.**

**Apollo, Aphrodite**

**Summary preview: He just _understood_ her.**

* * *

><p>"No. No, no, no, <em>no<em>. This is _**not**_ acceptable, Apollo. I mean _really, _darling, _**stripes**_**?** Have you lost your fashion completely? I thought I could count on you." the love goddess chided as she looked through his closet.

"Look, it was the early 2000's and they were still in style. Now will you help me or not? I have a party to get to." Apollo snapped, half-hearted.

Aphrodite snickered. "And a poor girl to knock up, I'm sure."

Apollo gave her a semi-glare but she could tell he was secretly snickering with her. "As if you can claim otherwise. Creepily enough, you have _quite_ a lot of children around the same age."

Aphrodite smirked. "I could say the same for you, Apollo. Your sister must be horrified."

Apollo blinked, and let a lazy grin cross his face. "No doubt. But that's okay. I think she just might be accepting it. Maybe."

Aphrodite laughed, and for one moment she could see the appeal of her favorite Olympian aside from Ares.

Apollo just _got_ her, in things that the others couldn't. Caring, carelessness, image, _freedom_. He would always understand.

But love and war sound better then music and love, do they not?

Although healing and love was something to be considered, because they did go hand-in-hand after all.

But then the grin was gone and he was scowling at her.

"What. Is. _**That?**__"_ he demanded, see a red and black checkered vest she had absentmindedly pulled out of thin air.

Aphrodite herself was horrified at the sight of it. "I don't even think _we_ could pull this off." she said then smirked.

"Well, with white undershirt,-"

"Light brown pants, and formal shoes-"

"In a dark brown, it would be a uniform chic." she mused, delighted at the way he knew just the right way to make it work. They grinned at each other, and for one moment, she let herself think about the adorable way he styled his hair, the blinding smile, and perfect tan he wore with no effort.

And then his phone went off, and he muttered an almost silent curse.

"Yeah? Oh, hey Amelia. Yeah, I'll be there soon. What? Yeah, okay. Sure. See ya soon, babe." he told her, and then snapped the phone shut.

Apollo gave her an apologetic smile. "So, back to my party clothes crisis..."

She sighed and got back to work, looking the perfect outfit that would break that poor girls heart when Apollo left her tonight, just like he left the others.

She felt an odd surge of sadistic glee at the thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I love that pairing. I mean, I get the whole, Love and War thing. I do.<strong>

**But Love and _Healing_? Love and _Music_? Love and _Prophecy? _Love and _Light?_ God, what were the Greeks _thinking,_ ignoring those amazing titles?**

**Love and Healing? It is a proven fact that you heal faster with love being focused on you.**

**Love and Music? Image for a second that perfect dance with the one you love.**

**Love and Prophecy? Aphrodite loves complications and what is better then knowing the one you love has a horrifying prophecy looming over them?**

**Love and Light? Must I really explain this?**

**So, fine Greeks. Take the cliche Love and War thing. I like Aphrodite and Apollo better (even if this was just a friendship drabble).**

**Next chapter: Breaking the Rules.**

**You know what that is, right?**

**CHAPTER 50! :D**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	50. Breaking the Rules

**Me: I am going to flunk out of college if I keep putting off work for the addiction of ff.**

**So, Romans or no Romans? Just a thought.**

**This is: Breaking the Rules.**

**CHAPTER 50! :D**

**I don't own PJO. Oh, and yes, this is going to be quite an AU set during _Titan's Curse._**

**Thalia**

**Summary preview: Talk about rule breaking...**

* * *

><p>It went against every gut-feeling in your body to take Luke's hand and smile in the face of your ex-friends that first time after the whole tree incident.<p>

The second time, it was a bit less guilt racking.

And by the third time, that forced smile (that you knew deep down wasn't all that forced) had turned pure and real. You didn't care if the rest of the world burned as long as he was by your side.

Yeah, you were breaking the rules that daddy dearest had set for you, and yeah, it feel frikken amazing.

Maybe, just maybe, you could still feel that twinge of guilt when you thought of Percy's face as he was taken away by the skeleton army. You could still hear his haunting cries of betrayal in your nightmares. Because you knew even in your nightmares, Percy couldn't escape death.

He was a variable that had to be dealt with after all.

So what if every time you got near the ocean it instantly turned into a hurricane weather and tried to kill you?

You never liked Poseidon all that much in the first place.

And yeah, you supposed that you basically left Annabeth to die while she sat under the sky, and that killed you, but you knew letting her out would only harm you.

Either she goes back to Camp Half-Blood and join the war trying to kill you, or she stays and takes back Luke's attention just like she _always_ had.

And what did she know about brainwashing anyway? You were doing this because you wanted to. _Not_ because when you met with Kronos he brainwashed you.

Sure, before then you weren't completely sure about staying here, but after he explained some things, you would never leave!

And Luke helped you with any doubts you may have at one time had. You was doing the right thing.

You were sure of it.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: You know, authors sometimes write 'Please don't kill me!" at the end of a cliffy chapter.<strong>

**I have myself.**

**But I have never actually been told to flat out _die_.**

**Kind of harsh. So, if my writing seems kind of hesitate and iffy for this chapter, just know that was what keeps running through my mind everything I started to write something.**

**Sorry that it happened right when I was trying to make an epic half-point fic.**

**Next Chapter: Sport**

**Nice, non-life threatening reviews anyone?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	51. Sports

**Me: It took me awhile to find something cute and interesting to write about, but I finally did, despite the fact that I caught the flu.**

**Blech.**

**Can you believe we already have passed the 50 mark? Anna= proud.**

**This is: Sports**

**I don't own the PJO universe.**

**Travis, Katie and an irritated Nico**

**Summary preview: Give me a T-R-A-T-I-E! Go TRATIE!**

* * *

><p>I stared back at Nico in shock.<p>

"You've... you have never played football?" I asked, my mind spinning at the absurdness of it.

Yeah, I was never really in school, but when I was younger, Conner and I had still played football (and all the other sports) during any free-time we had outside. The fact that Nico had never played blew my mind.

Nico gave me a pointed look. "I've been a in a magical hotel for most of my life. The other part was trying to survive during a war."

I frowned. "Point taken."

I thought over just what I would need to help teach a teenager-who was obviously well past the age that most children develop their love of sports- when I saw Katie pass.

A brilliant idea lit up my mind.

"Katie! Hey, KATIE! Come here for a sec!" I yelled, trying to get her attention. I saw her raised an eyebrow, and was kind of confused at the look on Silena's face as Katie slowly made her way towards me, but I shrugged it off.

Girls were just weird like that.

"What do you want, Travis?"

I grinned. "How would you like to be a cheerleader?"

I suddenly found myself ducking a heavy rock that had been chucked at my head.

"You sexist pig." Katie told me, but her tone was somewhat amused, so I knew it was okay to keep grinning at her.

"I keep hearing that. No, but seriously, it's for a good cause."

"The boredom of the male population of camp?"

I put on a face of hurt. "Of course not, Katie. Would I do that?"

I decided to ignore the pointed look on her face.

"Anyway, you know Nico, right? Saved the camp by convincing his creepy- I mean, completely loving and generous dad, Hades to fight in the war? Ring a bell?" I asked, shooting a wary glance at Nico's scowl and the huge scar in the ground that was only a few yards away.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, Travis. He is standing right behind you."

I glanced behind me to find that, yes, Nico was now standing behind instead of in front of me.

I had the sudden urge to run away screaming, but forced it down. No one, not even Jackson, can pull off running away, screaming at the top of their lungs.

"Right. Anyway, you know the ritual of boyhood, right? The guy plays football for the first time? Well di Angelo over there has never played, and I need a cute girl for the role of the cheerleader."

"And I am to assume that ever boy has a cheerleader for his first game of football?"

"Er, no. Most don't. But hey, that is only because we were too young to understand the need to one. Nico is a _guy_ now. Not a boy, but a _guy_. He needs the cheerleader."

"And this isn't in anyway revenge for the caramel he put in your shampoo bottle during the 'Prank Percy Jackson' fiasco is it, Nico?" Katie asked, turning away from me.

Nico scowled. "Well it _wasn't_. I'm not so sure about _now_."

I glared at them, then tried to smile.

"Is that a yes, I'm hearing, Katie?" I asked.

Katie sighed. "You wouldn't stop bugging me about it for hours if I didn't. Sure, Travis, that is a yes. But only if you answer one question."

"Excellent. Sure. Give me your best shot."

"You're a guy. You call everyone by their last name, except for me. Why is that?"

I blinked, a bit shocked by the question, but then I got over it.

"Because you are _Katie_. Gardner just doesn't sound as right to me."

She laughed, and I could see a faint blush spread across her face.

"You idiot. Okay, fine, but I am _not_ wearing a skirt. Deal."

"But-"

"Travis." she said, her tone warning.

I sighed in defeat.

"Whatever. Okay Nico, so here are the rules..."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: More of a friendship thing then an actual couple-ly thing, I think.<strong>

**I still like it.**

**And oh my gods, I was making plans for Dec. 27 with my some of my friends from HS, (we still keep in touch-considering four out of five of us are in the same college ;) and I was talking to my friend Katie when she started complaining about our friend -her boyfriend- Travis. And then it was an Oh-My-Gods-PJO-Moment.**

**And that is what inspired me to write this.**

**Next Chapter: Deep In Thought**

**It shall be cute sweet Percabeth. Or something with Poseidon and Sally. Whichever you guys like more.**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	52. Deep In Thought

**Me: Well hello my dear readers. Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are saints. Anyways, I realized that I pretty much ignore you're questions, so I am going to try and fix that.**

**Ask away.**

**Anyway, _ShadowDragon13 _asked why I kill off Annabeth so much.**

**I honestly don't know, but if it makes you feel better, she will actually live through the next chapter. Maybe. I'm kind of killing Percabeth in it again, but not killing her.**

**:)**

**This is: Deep In Thought**

**I don't own the characters in the PJO universe.**

**Sally, Poseidon**

**Summary preview: A love started through thought.**

* * *

><p>I had no idea why I was talking to this guy, aside from the fact that right now, he looked insanly gorgeous, with messy black hair, a surfer body, and sea green eyes.<p>

And that he was holding some huge fork thing, and called himself Poseidon.

"And that is why I will never again trust a dog." he told me, finishing whatever story he had been telling me.

"Oh. Well, it makes sense, in a weird way, I suppose." I told him, not having heard a single thing he had told me.

Poseidon gave me a polite smile and looked down at his watch.

"I really should be going. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Jackson."

"Can I ask one question before you leave, Poseidon?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you holding a huge fork?"

I watched Poseidon's face pale, and his eyes swirl with an unknown emotion. He kept glancing up at the sky, and though I didn't know why, it worried me.

But eventually he stopped and and looked at me, deep in thought.

"You... are not what I expected, Ms. Jackson." he finally said, a smile gracing his lips.

I let out a breath I hadn't know I had been holding and gave him a brilliant smile.

"And for a guy who carries around a huge fork, I am guessing that is saying something."

Poseidon laughed. "I should be offended, but I'm not. It is actually called a trident. In fact, your friends over there think it's a camera."

I nodded, because, honestly, it made sense. No one else was looking at what Poseidon held for longer then a second, as though it wasn't anything usual.

"So, either we are both crazy, you are just playing along, or you are one of those things that I see that no one else can."

Poseidon's eyes twinkled.

"Ms. Jackson, have you ever heard of Greek Mythology?"

* * *

><p><strong>Me: so.<strong>

**It was short.**

**It was badly written.**

**It basically has no formed plot.**

**Yet I cannot bring myself to hate it.**

**Next Chapter: Keeping A Secret**

**I will tell you now that I love what I am doing with that chapter. I haven't seen it on FF in the PJO category before, so for once I actually feel original.**

**:D**

**Anyone want to guess what it is about in a review?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	53. Keeping a Secret

**Me: I have to say this first.**

**_TerriM_ as soon as I got half-way into your story idea, I burst out laughing. I love the idea and will have to put that in here somewhere, even if it is a bonus chapter at the end. Althought, it may end up fluffy.**

**Recently I have been getting a lot of reviews (not just on this story) saying that people either don't like Percabeth, think it is boring after reading about it so much, or just want to see Percy and Annabeth with someone else.**

**So I thought 'Why not destory Percabeth through a total twist no one saw coming?'**

**And this was born. Heavy AU. You guys guesses were interesting, but I stuck with this.**

**This is: Keeping A Secret**

**I don't own anyone in the PJO universe.**

**Percy, Annabeth**

**Summary preview: Secrets are deadly...**

* * *

><p>The first time I met the girl with blonde princess curls, I was five. She was standing all alone in a sand box, drawing something in the ground.<p>

I walked over, and looked down. I saw that it was actually a huge dog with three heads.

"What are you drawing?" I asked, a bit freaked out.

She looked at my shoes, back at the picture, then back at the shoes and shrugged.

"My dreams. I tend to see him a lot. He likes big rubber balls." she told me, her voice matter-of-fact.

I stared back at her like she was crazy, and walked off.

* * *

><p>The second time I saw her, I got my first look at those deep swirling green eyes.<p>

We were twelve and at Camp Half-Blood. I had left my home two years after meeting her, so after five years, I obviously knew how Camp worked and that my mother was Athena, the goddess of Wisdom.

Annabeth looked a bit frightened, and I heard that she had just seen her mother die from being smushed by the Minotaur.

I felt a bit sorry for her, and seeing her face pale suddenly I ran over to her and got there just to see her faint.

I stood over her, frowning. "You think she's the one?" I asked, nudging her with my foot, refering to the Great Prophecy.

Chiron somewhat-glared at me. "Silence Percy. She's still conscious."

He motioned for me to pick her up, and I did so recluently.

"What about Grover?" I asked, nodding towards the unconscious satyr. Chiron sighed.

"Can someone please bring Grover with us?" he called out.

A satyr I knew was named Fred walked out, picked up his fallen kin, and followed behind us as we took the girl with princess curls to the infirmary.

* * *

><p>I was put on new-girl duty. For the next day I was forced to stay inside with her, making sure she wasn't bothered and was fed ambrosia to keep her strength up.<p>

She regained conscious once, and during that time I asked (while smirking, because she had ambrosia all over her chin), "What is going to happen on the summer solstice?"

Because if she really was _the one_ then surely she understood what had eveyone at camp freaking out over?

But she just looked confused and tired. I gave a quick glance around and leaned down to hiss "What is going on? What was stolen? We only have a few weeks!"

She looked desperately confused. "I'm sorry, I don't..." she trailed off as someone knocked on the door and I shoved pudding in her mouth.

* * *

><p>I was with Chiron and Mr. D watching them play pinochle when I heard Grover walk up behind us and say, "That's Mr. D. He's the camp director. Be polite. The guy, that's Percy Jackson. He's just a camper, but he's been here longer then just about anybody. And you already know Chiron..." Grover trailed off.<p>

I looked up at my name and studied the girl in front of me. She looked like a California girl, through and through. Her blonde princess curls, a surfer's tan, and those sea green eyes completed the look.

I thought about my own stormy gray eyes I would see if I looked in the mirror and wondered what she was thinking about me.

"Mr. Brunner!" she cried out suddenly, and I had to hold back a snort. What the Hades was Chiron thinking?

But Chiron turned and smiled at her. "Ah, good, Annabeth. Now we have four for pinochle." he offered her a chair that she took slowly.

Chiron gave Mr. D a pointed looked and he sighed, irritated.

"Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp-Half Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad about to see you."

I had a feeling that the girl- Annabeth apparently- had just understood the reason behind Dionysus' blood shot eyes.

"Um, thanks." she said a little hesitately.

"Percy?" Chiron asked.

I looked back at him, and walked over. Chiron waved in my general direction as he said, "This young man nursed you back to health, Annabeth. Percy, my boy, why don't you go check on Annabeth's bunk? We'll be putting her in cabin eleven for now."

"Sure." I said, looking over Annabeth.

Looking over her again, I noticed that she had to be about my age, a few inches taller, but a lot less athletic looking. And, yeah, a stereotypical California girl.

I looked down at the Minotaur horn in her hands, then back at her, my mind whirling.

I smirked and said "You drool when you sleep."

Then I ran off towards the Hermes' cabin.

* * *

><p>I was reading a book in Greek when Annabeth and Chiron finally got to cabin eleven.<p>

From the look on Annabeth's face, I knew that she had just been briefed on how the gods worked.

"Percy, I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Annabeth from here?" Chiron asked.

I closed my book and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Chiron gestured to the cabin in front of us.

"Cabin Eleven. Make yourself at home."

Annabeth peered inside and a sort of panicked looked crossed her face as she saw how packed it was.

"Good luck, Annabeth. I'll see you at dinner." and with that he galloped off to the archery range.

Annabeth was frowning now as the cabin looked her over with a critical gaze.

"Well?" I asked bored. "Go on."

And when she tripped walking inside, I wasn't the only one who snickered.

"Annabeth Chase, meet cabin eleven." I announced scanning the room for someone I knew.

"Regular or undeterminded?" Travis called out.

There. In the back on their bunk beds, were the Stoll brothers. Ironic last name, but whatever.

I frowned with sympathy. "Undeterminded."

Everyone groaned.

And then Luke came forward. "Now, now campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Annabeth. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."

I gave him a nod of acknologment. "That's Luke. He's your counselor for now." I told Annabeth, a bit of amusement lacing my tone. I saw her looking at me curiously and I hardened my tone.

"For now?" she asked.

"You're undeterminded." Luke explained, while I saw a suddenly thief gleam come into a few of the determinded children of Hermes.

I was running through possible suspects if Annabeth's Minotaur horn was suddenly missing when I heard everyone laugh.

Feeling slightly out of the loop, I said "Come on, I'll show you the volleyball court."

"But I've already seen it."

"Come on." I demanded ignored her annoyed look and took her by the arm, leading her out. I could still hear the kids of cabin eleven laughing.

"Chase, you are going to have to do better than that." I told her, refering to the fail of an enterance she made.

"What?"

I rolled my eyes and mumbled "I can't believe I thought you were the one."

"What is your _problem_?" Annabeth demanded, her anger showing. "All I know is that I killed some bull guy-"

"Don't talk like that!" I snapped. What was this girl, dense? Did she _not_ see all the training rooms we had preparing for something like that?

"You know how many kids at this camp with they'd had your chance?"

"To get killed?" she asked in comtempt.

I glared. "To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?"

Annabeth was shaking her head now, disbelif plain on her face.

Gods she was irritating.

"Look, if you are so smart, then you should know that the Minotaur died way back in the B.C. era. And all I know is that this camp is for the mentally disturbed."

"Gods, you _are_ dense. Look, I don't have the patience to deal with a newbie today. Go and find Luke, or better yet, Clarisse. You would love her." I snapped, irritated at the pure lack of trying, spun on my heel, and stormed away.

* * *

><p>And when Annabeth Chase just so happened to be a daughter of Poseidon, the uneasy feeling I had around her finally made sence. Athena and Poseidon don't mix. And I planned to make sure that they never did.<p>

Besides, her entire exsistance must have meant Poseidon had been keeping a secret. It was only a matter of time before her mother had gotten killed. After all, secrets this big between gods, never stay secrets for long.

* * *

><p><strong>me: Ha, how many saw that coming? Be truthful. I honestly don't think that there was anything about Annabeth being a daughter of Poseidon and Percy being a son of Athena on Fanfiction before this drabble.<strong>

**I am feeling proud. But seriously, if you have seen this idea before, please tell me! I would hate to steal the credit for something that someone else has already established as their idea.**

**The previous title fiasco taught me this.**

**If you think Annabeth and Percy are OOC, well their personalities mostly come from who their parents are right? Percy is stubborn and untamable like the sea, while Annabeth is a know-it-all like her mother, the goddess of Wisdom. But I couldn't bring myself to make Percy blonde and Annabeth have black hair. It would be like ruining something famous.**

**Anyway they were _meant_ to be at least slightly OOC.**

**You might be wondering whether I will continue this fic in later chapters seeing how I only did the beginning of LT.**

**You would be wondering for a very good cause. I believe that I will, (just not in the next chapter) because I honestly adore this storyline and never understood why no one else had explored this route of possiblities.**

**Next Chapter: Tower**

**Yes! I love what I wrote for that chapter too!**

**:D**

**Reviews, reviews, reviews, my dears.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	54. Tower

**Me: My brain is killing me. Sarcasm takes _genius._ To all you sarcastic authors out there; I respect you deeply. Ha, no, this chapter isn't all that sarcastic. But one that you will see soon is.**

**Reviews have been lacking. Are you up to the challenge of getting this to 170 reviews before Dec. 25?**

**Happy holidays to those who are celebrating, and I wish you a good day to those who are not.**

**This is: Tower**

**Thalia, Percy**

**Summary preview: Since when does the guy need saving?**

* * *

><p>Thalia Grace was in deep trouble with the some powerful people. Right now she was praying to every god and goddess that would keep her safe from being caught by the royal guard.<p>

Hearing horse footsteps, she ran, throwing herself against a wall of moss, hoping to break through it.

She wasn't expecting to actually fly through it, and land on the ground, with a golden rod sticking into her side.

Rolling her eyes in disgust, she stood up, dusted herself off, grabbed the rod, and was about to leave when she saw a huge tower in the distance.

It was the perfect place to hid out until things calmed down some.

Taking two of the three arrows she kept on her at all times, Thalia slowly began to scale the wall.

It took half an hour, and each step was panic-attack worthy, because there was no sure footholds.

Throwing herself through the window, she leaned against the wall and breathed heavily for a few minutes, before realizing someone else was in the room.

Sea green eyes stared back at her, with some awe, some exasperation clouding them.

"You could have just used the front door, you know. Once you get past the wind demons, hellhounds, and dragon it's basically an easy way up." a guy around her age told her, holding out a hand to help her up.

Thalia eyed it warily. The boy sighed and ran the hand through his hair.

"Well, if you insist on sitting on the floor of my bedroom, at least tell me your name. I haven't actually spoke to a human being in a... very long time."

Thalia scowled. Who was this guy? And why the heck was he at the top of what supposedly was an empty tower with a hellhound, wind demons, and dragon guarding him?

"Well, who are _you?_ I am only here, because I thought this place was abandoned. Since it obviously isn't, I should-"

"Percy Jackson. My name is Percy Jackson. And you know, climbing down that wall is harder then it looks with all the booby traps. They don't activate when climbing up, but going down and stepping on one, means an instant visit from the former mentioned dragon."

She scowled. "And you have a dragon guarding you _why, _exactly?"

Percy grinned. "Because I annoyed my step-dad and he grounded me. When I snuck out, he put me in here, so that I could slowly be driven insane, from lack of outside contact. Idiot. I have plenty of people to talk to. The gods find me amusing."

Thalia stared. He was put in a tower because he snuck out of his house while being grounded? What the Hades?

"And your father is?"

"Poseidon. My _step_-father is the king. He has a bit of a temper, and tends to make permanent, rash decisions. Hence, my living conditions."

Thalia stared back disturbed deeply. She had heard rumors that the king had a son hidden away somewhere, but it was always for his own protection.

Not because he felt like disobeying his father.

And that's when the first part of his sentence sunk in.

"Whoa. Wait a second. You are telling me that your real father is _Poseidon_? As in god of the seas?"

"Well he's either that, or the dragon. Personally, I like the first choice better, but maybe I'm being egotistic."

Thalia just stared back at him.

Percy began to squirm under her gaze. "Look, I know it's a lot to take in, but-"

"_'A lot to take in'_? Oh my gods, this is insane! Why should I believe you?" she demanded, throwing her hands up.

Percy gave her a dry look. "Well, considering we are in a tower in the middle of nowhere, I look exactly like my father, and if you go down those stairs, you can meet the a fore mentioned dragon, I would say I have a pretty solid case."

"No, no, no, the gods hate humans, they would be disgusted by the mere idea of a demigod, you are not really the prince, dragons and hellhounds don't exist, and I am in a vivid hallucination." Thalia muttered, putting her head in her hands.

Percy snorted. "I doubt anyone has a good enough imagination to think up this amazingly sexy body. And, did you completely miss my first statement? The gods find me _amusing_ not disgusting. And you have a living demigod right in front of you. My possible father the dragon, is right downstairs, and yes I am the future ruler of this kingdom if I ever get out of this place."

"...You sound like my friend Nico."

"Di Angelo? Hades' kid. I know his sister."

"Bianca is dead. She died like, five years ago in the middle of a different kingdom. She has never came close to this kingdom. You can't know her."

"What part of the gods love me, are you not understanding?"

"The part where Hades actually doesn't despise a demigod of his brother's creation and kill him on sight."

"Uncle Hades tends to have that reaction to things."

"Oh my gods, _how_ are you still alive?"

Percy grinned wickedly and winked at her.

"I have the quick thinking of one who's life depended on them coming up with humorous replies to death threats."

"I am losing my mind."

Percy absently tilted his index finger to the right. "You have a point. Or maybe _I'm _the one losing my mind, hallucinating about insane teenage girls after this long torture of lack-of-human-contact-for-years-on-end. Sorry about that."

Thalia groaned.

Percy frowned at her. "For a hallucination, you are majorly depressing. But maybe this is a reflection on my subcon-"

"I'm not a hallucination."

"And considering the fact that I am not either, I would love to say that we are both reasonable sane, and able to break m- ah, us- out of here."

She looked up at that. "Break out of here? What the Hades do you mean, _break out of here_? If you aren't lying we have the impossible task of getting out of here alive! And what makes you think I would help you?"

Percy blinked a few times, making him look adorably innocent.

"Because there is no way I am letting you leave me alone here again? Seriously, I refuse to be stuck here when an escape is being made. Besides, Apollo said I was do to either die spectacularly, or see the world once more. I am hoping towards the latter, if you don't mind."

"I am _not_ helping you. You would just slow me down."

"You seem to forget just who you are talking to. I _am a demigod_. I can handle this if I have some help. I just need a small distraction an I can get us past them." Percy stressed.

Thalia scowled. "And how would that work?"

Percy gave her a creepy smile. "As soon as the wind demon is gone, I can take the hellhound down easy, and blood bending isn't that hard if the dragon is distracted. I just have to break through his mind a bit."

"You want me to be bait."

Percy frowned. "_No_, I want you to kill the wind demon when I'm fighting the hellhound. The dragon only bothers you if you get to the ground. If you can get past the wind demon, the hellhound will follow you out to the grounds, and bam. Back inside the ickle prince goes."

"How do you know all this?"

Percy grimaced. "Ah, lets just say experience isn't always the best way of knowledge. So are you in or not?"

Thalia stared at him for awhile, thinking it over. Finally she gave a curt nod.

"I'm in."

* * *

><p>"Percy Jackson, if we survive this, <em>I will kill you<em>!" Thalia yelled out, dodging a breath of fire.

"Hey! It isn't _my_ fault that the wind demon _just won't die_! I'm doing my best here!"

"You better be happy that I'm still alive to dance around this thing!" she yelled, ducking a huge claw aimed at her head.

Percy grunted, and then she heard a wail. It sounded like the wind was screaming- which for all intensive purposes, it kind of was.

The wind demon dissolved into dust, and Percy shook his head.

"Thalia, I need you to keep it distracted for just a second longer. I need to break into its mind."

"Sure. I mean, it isn't like I'm risking my life trying to help you with a power that you have never used. Totally saf-"

"Look out!" Percy yelled as Thalia spun around and saw the dragon's teeth a foot away from her face. She quickly kicked it's jaw, and backed up.

"Could you _hurry up_ maybe? I tend to prefer being alive, thank you!"

Percy didn't grace it with an answer.

Instead the dragon gave a sudden jerk of it's head, snarled, and stiffly moved backwards. A determined look was on Percy's face, but victory shine in his eyes.

Thalia quickly killed the offending dragon and Percy let out a whoop of pure excitement.

"Hades yes!" he yelled, running towards the moss wall. Upon reaching it, he turned on his heel, his eyes sparkling with the high of freedom.

"You have the word of the Crowned Prince that the royal son owes you a major favor. If you happen to see you dad- Uncle, whatever- or Apollo be sure to send them my escape. Oh, and here," Percy said, pulling the golden rod out of what seemed like nowhere, tossed it to her, as she jogged to meet him.

Thalia looked down at the rod, nodded, and smirked at Percy.

"Let me know if you're ever are bored. I wouldn't mind working with you again sometime, Jackson." she told him.

Percy winked at her, then disappeared into the moss cover.

Thalia shook her head in amusement, pocketed the rod, and walked through the moss wall, not surprised in the least when she couldn't see Percy anywhere.

Suddenly she stopped short.

"Wait. Did he just call my father his Uncle and imply that my father was a god?"

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Yes, I got the idea for this after see how little I wrote about Thalia in my story <em>A Midnight's Dream©<em>.**

**Next Chapter: Waiting.**

**Freeverse. That's all I'm saying on the subject.**

**Review challenge : 170!**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	55. Waiting

**Me: Thanks so much for the reviews everyone! :D YOU SUCCEDED!**

**No, this still isn't a continuation of _Keeping A Secret_ (which I might one day make into a story, but probably won't continue it in a drabble) but it _is_ a freeverse!**

**This is: Waiting**

**And yeah, you guys have to wait for this chapter. Sorry! Set in a world where Percy took up godhood.**

**Annabeth, Percy**

**Summary preview: Waiting could be a blessing in disguise... or the worst kind of curse.**

* * *

><p>Waiting.<p>

It seems like that was all she ever did anymore.

_Wait_**wait**WAIT

Wait for the world to slowly _**stop**__ handing out_ **freaking** _**karma**_

{It's a good thing she has a measure of _patience_}

.

She has to wait even _longer_ now.

Secrets were blown, lies revealed, and now she's **stuck**

Waiting for something she _never_ wanted

{Yet she **still** ended up with}

.

Ten months have passed, and yet here she is,

_**Waiting**_

She's beginning to hate her life.

And the little _monsters_ that **ruined** it.

Even if she is cooing at them right now.

_{Percy_ **and** Annabeth's _little monsters_}

.

Finally, **finally** _he_ came back.

All it took was just a few years _or so_.

But something is **off** about the boy [_**g**__**od**_] called Seaweed Brain.

Something stirring in those _sea__**sea**__sea_ gr**ee**n eyes.

And now she has to wait to find out what it is.

{She would probably **never** know}

.

The twins said _Dad_ visited them again today.

She knew she should be _happy_ she didn't have to wait as long this time.

Too bad she was **out** on a date when _he_ came by.

{She **hated** _him _sometimes}

.

She knew she was going to have to wait out the sudden storms that surrounded New York.

She knew that it was _her _fault they were there.

But in a way, she blamed _him_ for it as well.

{She **m i s s e d **_him _too}

_._

She saw _him_ today.

For what felt like forever she waited for _him_ to notice her.

Only once did she see the _simply swirling sea_ green eyes.

{She still **l o v e d **_him_}

.

_He _was there, waiting for her today.

Still as **b e a u t i f u l** as ever.

Smiling at the monsters, that _ruined_ their lives.

{For some reason, she **didn't** _blame_ them as much anymore}

.

_He _promised to never leave her, so long ago.

She still _**b e l i v e s**_ _him_ for some reason.

So she waits.

{**Forever** _waiting_}

.

Wondering

**L o v i n g**

_Hoping_

{_**Waiting**_}

.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Yeah.<strong>

**I killed Percabeth again.**

**Deal.**

**You know what I want? A REJECTION CHAPTER. Not _Rejected _of course, because that is already written (also a freeverse). But something about Percy, Reyna, Jason, Annabeth, and just who Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter choose as their leader.**

**I love the idea, and hopefully I will rack my brain for a way to weasel it into the next chapter.**

**But only if you guys want me to of course.**

**Next Chapter: Danger Ahead**

**Thoughts anyone?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	56. Danger Ahead

**Me: In your reviews (which I love getting, :) I realize that a lot of you guys must think that I hate Percabeth.**

**Would you believe me if I told you I actually like it enough to be one of my favorite pairings?**

**No? I understand. But seriously, I really don't have a problem with Percabeth. It's cliche, the obvious best-friend romance, forbidden thing, but I still like the pairing over all.**

**I just love destroying it. The perfect cliche love destroyed. XD I'm a sadist, I know. Whatever. But I _REALLY_ LOVE PERCY/REYNA! It's irony to delicious for me not too. **

**But no, for now I have killed Percabeth a bit too many times in a row. I shall let them have this chapter. Even if their fluffy moment isn't all that fluffy.**

**This is: Danger Ahead**

**And, no, I haven't given up my rejection chapter, I just don't think that I can pull off a Percabeth chapter when I have the chance to make it into Percy/Reyna.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Percy, Annabeth**

**Summary preview: Danger was just a myth when she was around.**

* * *

><p>You look at her curious, yet wary eyes, and smile at the way her curiosity wins out.<p>

"Where exactly are we-"

"Shhh." You whisper in an amused tone. She rolls her eyes, and you can't help but take this as a time to give her a quick kiss.

When it's over she looks a little dazed, but quickly regains her composure and gives you an exasperated look.

"You must be the most flippant person I know, Seaweed Brain." she muttered, but a smile has graced her lip and her favorite endearment has crossed her lips, so you know she doesn't really care.

You laugh for her benefit, and give her a crooked grin.

"I'm wounded, Wise Girl."

She laughs with you and then you arrive. The place you took her to is a secluded place on the beach with the perfect view of the ocean as the moon lights the water.

"Wow." she breaths, and you squeeze her hand.

You sit on the ground and she follows your example.

"Is their a specific reason you brought me out here after curfew in the middle of the winter?" she finally ask after a few minutes later.

"But of course. How would you like to hang out with my Mom and Paul- and me obviously- this winter break? They haven't seen you in forever and I thought it might be nice if-"

You stop talking as she laughs.

"Of course. I would love to. " she says and instantly your fears are soothed.

You know with her there is no danger ahead because you have each other's backs. That includes whatever embarrassing thing your mom or Paul may come up with.

You love her, and maybe one day you can tell her. For now you just sit under the stars, then take her back to her cabin, kiss her, and head back to your's not even guessing at what might await you at your arrival.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Yeah, it was a night-that-Percy-went-missing thing.<strong>

**Next Chapter: Sacrifice**

**Did you like the chapter? I updated EVERYTHING in my PJO category today, so I feel pretty good right now.**

**Reviews would be an awesome holiday gift.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	57. Sacrifice

**Me: Hi guys. :)**

**Thanks for the reviews, as always. I love them. And YES! I finally achieved having this story be in a C2. :)**

**Anyway, this is kinda a prequel to 'The Chicken Has Achieved Liftoff' By my faithful reviewer _HecateA _who has kindly allowed me to write this. No spoilers for it.**

**To _Terri M _and _Musicismyblood_ this is actually not a "Death to Percabeth!" chapter. It's.. well I don't really know, but it isn't depressing. I was going for more of a chapter that brings out laughter.**

**This is: Sacrifice**

**I don't own 'The Chicken Has Achieved Liftoff' by _HecateA_ nor PJO by Rick Riordan.**

**Percy, Travis, Conner**

**Summary preview: Watching others sacrifice their pride was... amusing.**

* * *

><p>I watched Travis completely freak out over the message, whilst debating with Conner over whether Travis should let the code, "the chicken has achieved liftoff' become public or not.<p>

Conner sighed. "Bro, just _tell them_. I mean, if _Percy_ can tell that you like her, she knows." he threw a sheepish glance at me.

"No offense."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not _that_ oblivious."

The Stolls snorted.

I ignored my growing irritation with the entire thing and ran a hand through my hair. "Travis-"

"What if she laughs? Gods, that would be worse then if Mr. D suddenly got all inspired and turned into a director for some sort of camp musical!"

I blinked rapidly. "Where the Hades did that come fro-"

"No! It would be worse then if Chiron decided to become a party pony! Or if Nico had a sudden urge to sing Christmas carols! Or if Leo goes through with his popcorn-turned-into-ice cream-machine idea!"

We all shuddered at the last one.

"Travis-" Conner tried this time only to be cut off as Travis went off again.

"What if the hippo _dies_ in surgery? What then, Conner?" he rounded on his brother.

Conner paled and I looked on with a morbid sense of fascination. Did they have codes for _everything_?

"Hippo-?"

"Gah! Even Jackson can see the horrible-ness of the situation! The sacrifice of my pride is at stake here!" Travis said, once again cutting me off.

"Travis!" I yelled finally cutting off his ranting and standing.

The Stolls blinked up at at me, owlishly.

I sighed. "Just tell her that the chicken has achieved liftoff."

A sandy blonde head of hair suddenly made itself know along with a child of around thirteen. The kid grinned hugely, making the elf features more noticeable.

"The chicken has achieved liftoff? Finally! Wait until I tell... everyone!" he- who's name is possibly Robin- cried and raced out of the room, as we looked on with objective horror.

"The cow has dived under the rocket, Conner. The cow has dived under the rocket." Travis said, an almost relived tone in his voice despite his expression.

Conner laughed, lifting the mood, and walked out of the room, most likely deciding to help the younger child of Hermes in the rumor of a flying chicken.

I shook my head, and walked away, hoping the whole 'Chicken Has Achieved Liftoff' wouldn't cause any... Mr. D 'accidents' to happen.

A stray though made me smile.

This was going to drive Annabeth insane.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I love that story. I really <em>really<em> do. You should totally read it.**

**Seriously. This will make so much more sense if you do.**

**Thanks again to _HecateA_ for letting me use her story!**

**Next chapter: Kicked In the Head.**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	58. Kicked In the Head

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys! Did anyone else have trouble see the new reviews? I had to actually hack into my email account to read them.**

**They fixed it now, but still. It was irritating having to search my mind for that buried password for an account I only use to make new accounts.**

**How many of you actually gave into your curiosity and checked out 'The Chicken Has Achieved Liftoff' by _HecateA_? I will freely admit to going back and reading it after reading over mine.**

**This is: Kicked In the Head**

**I will tell you now, it's kind of angst-y. Blame way too many reading of sad things that made me cry. And _Who Am I? _by _Eleos_**

**Love the oneshots, but geez, I always have an urge to write after reading it and my writing mood is always bitter and depressed.**

**Whatever. Don't worry. Percabeth LIVES! **

**Kinda.**

**I don't own PJO or HOO.**

**Reyna, Percy, Annabeth**

**Summary: King and Queen torn apart.**

* * *

><p>"You looked... excited. Are you mental?" I tease, as I looked at Percy's face. He rolls his sea green eyes at me, gives me that crooked smile, and my heart does a weird little flutter.<p>

"Yeah, well, maybe I can finally _remember_ some things. I don't remember ever _having _complete knowledge of my life, and honestly, it is going to be seriously surreal to remember a childhood. But still... it's something I _need_ to know."

I nodded and take his hand. Something flashes in his eyes, but then it's gone and that trusting, calm look goes over his face. And that amazes me. I might have see his indifferent mask, the confident mask, the leader mask, but rarely have I ever see what really goes on in his mind.

Of course, if I couldn't see his eyes I might have thought this is his 'Reyna' mask. But no. If anyone ever looked into his eyes during those mask, you could see what feelings he was hiding.

Somehow, this just makes me more determined to learn everything about this Greek demigod that has Camp Jupiter on it's toes.

The purple cape is in place on his back and I adjust mine to match. In the mirror I glance up and smile slightly at the regal way we look like this. A king and queen of Ancient Rome in togas and capes.

Percy catches my gaze and laughs. "I feel like an idiot."

I laugh with him even though some part of me is screaming not to let anyone see the giving into emotions. But then again, he isn't just anyone. "Part of the job, Jackson." I say, loving the way his eyes are smiling.

"Come on." I said as I took his hand and walked out of the cabin. Instantly I drop his hand, nod, and walk in sync with him until we reach the front of the parting group to meet the already landed Greeks.

But when I saw Jason standing in the lead, some blonde girl at his side that looks vaguely familiar, I wanted to stop dead and leap into his arms at the same time. _My best friend was back_.

But I continued my walk with Percy and when we stopped at the front, I can tell that the blonde girl is staring at Percy. Jason said something to her and she smiled at him, replying.

Jason's eyes widened and his gaze instantly snapped onto Percy as well.

Percy on the other hand just looked vaguely shocked, but put on a wavering smile.

He opened his mouth slightly to say something, but the girl was faster.

"You're wearing a purple cape."

Percy's smile turned steady at that.

"I was proving that I can look good in anything, Wise Girl." he told her, an amused glint in his eyes. At his words, the girl grinned and ran towards him, throwing herself into a hug.

I was about to say something that would no doubt embarrass Percy, when she kissed him and I froze.

I stared at them for a second and suddenly I could hear Percy saying,

_"I feel like I just got kicked in the head."_

I had laughed at the time, because honestly, he _had_ just been kicked in the head while unconscious, but right now, I felt the exact same way.

I looked over at Jason and saw a small smile on his face. A girl in the background laughed. A familiar Latino boy grinned wickedly.

I cleared my throat and turned towards the Greeks, ignoring the shell-shocked Romans. Because even they know that _Percy is mine_. The two broke apart but I didn't let myself look back.

"Jason Grace. Greeks. Welcome to Camp Jupiter." I said, thankful that my voice didn't break.

Jason looked back at me. "Hey, Reyna. Glad to be here. You guys know about Percy, right?" he asked.

_That he is Greek? Yeah. That apparently he has a girlfriend that **is not me**? No, I hadn't really. Thanks for letting me know._

"He's a son of Poseidon. Of course we know. Your... friends are who exactly?"

Jason nodded, his leader face back. I almost laughed at how much he looked like Percy at that moment.

The boy with the wicked grin introduced himself first.

"Leo Valdez. Son of Hephaestus, god of Fire."

"Piper McLean. Daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of Love." the girl who had laughed said. I instantly hated her. It was irrational, pointless, and petty, but I hated her for having joy in my sorrow.

Not that I let it show.

"Annabeth Chase. Daughter of Athena, goddess of-"

"Wisdom." when she raised and eyebrow, I added "I got it from the nickname. I see that you know Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, god of the Sea. We of course, remember Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, king of the Skys. I'm Reyna, daughter of Bellona, the goddess of War." I narrow my eyes, suddenly recognizing her.

Annabeth Chase. She had helped with destroying Circe's Island!

Fury coursed through my veins at the thought. Sure, I have forgiven Percy. I had actually gotten to know Percy and found out he wasn't a jerk. But Annabeth...

Percy must have noticed my sudden change in mood, because he put a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off with a fierce look.

"_She was there_." I hissed. Percy just looked utterly confused, Annabeth a little alarmed, and Jason with disbelief, instantly understanding.

"Annabeth was part of it? Ar-" he cut off with a glare towards Percy.

"That means Percy was too." he said, distrust lacing his voice.

The Romans shifted uncomfortable watching the discussion with irritation and suspicion. One of their leaders was being questioned, the Greeks had angered the other, and three very powerful demigods were angry.

"Part of what?" Annabeth asked, her tone cautious. Percy's eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh my gods, Reyna, no, you _know_ it was an accident! I mean, we were only twelve looking for a friend of ours that was about to be eaten in a wedding dress! I was a guinea pig!" he defended. Suddenly his voice was cool.

"Don't be petty."

I whirled on his, fully ready to attack him when I remember that if this meeting didn't go right, Percy would _die_. And no matter how angry and jealous I was, I wasn't going to have him killed.

So I took a calming breath, gave him a tight smile, and turned to the Romans.

"Let's show our guest around camp." I suggested, throwing the girl Piper with Bobby, Leo with Hazel, and Annabeth with Percy of course.

I ignored the apologetic look he sent my way and blew off Jason.

I told Jason to go talk with some friends, giving the excuse of work that need to be done, before walking off to the river, sitting down, and let silent, frustrated, broken, tears run down my face.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I warned you. Percabeth, yet not. Iffy on the chapter, but I realized I have to do 10 chapters a month if I want to make my goal, and with all the studying that will be happening with finals it shall be a nightmare to have to do extra just cause I didn't finish 57-60 before New Year's.<strong>

**Next Chapter: No Way Out.**

**It's kind of... intense. Like, nightmare intense. Labyrinth intense.**

**Reviews, reviews, reviews, how I love them.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	59. No Way Out

**Me: Thanks for all the positive reviews guys! I love them. :)**

**WARNING: I am seriously warning people that get freaked out easily. This is a horror chapter. Not, like, physical damage or anything, but a bit harsh on despare and insanity.**

**This is: No Way Out.**

**Chris**

**Summary preview: There was no way out and you were going to die living a nightmare.**

* * *

><p>You spun around, your mind whirling at impossible speeds as you tried to find a way out of this place, (even though you <em>knew<em> that there was no way out after being here for days on end) all while your greatest fears kept coming back to slap you.

Taking a sudden right, you ducked, barely avoiding a swinging ax, got back up, and ran again. You ignored the bursting feeling that raged in your lungs, and almost cried in frustration when the walls spun and left you in a dungeon-looking place at a dead end.

But your fight-or-flight instinct was going crazy right now, and since fight was not an option against the sadistic Labyrinth, flight it was. You turned and ran to a crossroad.

You could vaguely hear a cow mooing down one hallway, and was vividly reminded of the way Percy Jackson's mom had almost died right before he got to camp.

You went the other way.

And finally, _finally_ you could see some sort of light ahead of you. Taking a huge chance, you walked towards it, letting relief to overcome you when it didn't just disappear.

And then you saw that it was just a brightly lit white room.

Letting out a broken cry, you slid down a wall, and caught your breath. A few memories you had that you had gotten by accidentally getting yourself stuck in a torture chamber played through your head, until you couldn't tell if it was you or the voices in your mind screaming.

The walls shifted and every horrible mythological creature was suddenly flashing through your mind, each killing you in their own special way, and there wasn't anything you could do to stop it.

And once that was finished, it started being people _you cared about_.

Except, sometimes, it wasn't monsters that murdered your loved ones.

It was you.

Your throat hurt from screaming in terror and denial, your face was scratched from the salty tears, and your mind was torn to shreds, breaking with insanity, and somewhere, deep inside, some part of you was laughing.

It was laughing because you had chosen the wrong side, and it knew that as punishment, you were going to die living your own personal nightmare.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: *blinks* I have nothings to say about this. I have no idea what put this into my mind.<strong>

**I did say that this wasn't just a bunch of pairing chapters didn't I?**

**Next Chapter: Rejection.**

**Freeverse! It's not a pairing chapter either, but it isn't harsh like this. Just acknowledging some things.**

**Reviews are cool, even if you just type three little dots like this...**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	60. Rejection

**Me: Well readers, it's that time again. Time for making an idiot of yourself by failing to dance for an amazingly legit reason.**

**OVER 200 REVIEWS! :D THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**This is: Rejection**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Luke, Thalia, Percy, Annabeth**

**Summary preview: Rejection hurts.**

* * *

><p><strong>Luke<strong>

The guy with the _crazy_ mom

Who always made him cookies, and Kool-Aid when he asked

And yeah, maybe _once_ in a while he **m i s s e d** her

That still **didn't change** the fact that he tried to murder her.

.

**Thalia**

The girl with the _drunk_ for a mother.

Who _allowed_ for her **s o n** to be given away to some revenge seeking goddess.

And, okay, it hurt to know that she _died_ without even **knowing** what happened to her daughter.

That didn't change anything though.

.

**Percy**

The guy with the most _**amazing**_ mom ever

And the _**worst**_ stepfather

The kid who had let something go _so many times_

Because it wasn't worth seeing his mom get hurt over _his_ mistakes.

.

**Annabeth**

The girl who's parent's **didn't care** _what_ happened to her.

The father who **i g n o r e d **her

And the stepmother that _despised_ her.

But it wasn't like she _**cared**_ or anything.

.

**Rejection**

For every one of them

From the people they looked to for acceptance from the most.

Rejected _care_, **love**, acceptance, and _**a childhood**_

Rejected

.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I love it.<strong>

**Before you ask- yes the fourth line in the last paragraph was describing the others in order.**

**Next Chapter: Fairy Tale**

**Reviews; Must I really say anything?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	61. Fairy Tales

**Me: Happy 2012! And thanks for all the awesome reviews! Sorry I couldn't update lately, but I had to do some serious re-writing.**

**I had to have written this ten times by now. I had an Artemis drabble about her view on how love only existed in fairy tales; one about how Annabeth was mortal, Luke was the good guy (depending on what side you were taking), Percy saved her life and told her about the Greek gods, then made her think it was a faded dream whilst Percy and Luke went to go tell Hades news of the mortal beliefs; one on me doing a retake on all of the fairy tales I could think of, ect...**

**And then I wrote something I totally LOVED.**

**AND THEN _nochance_ reviewed and I couldn't just make this completely sad. So I thought for, like, ever, and wrote some seriously short Percabeth.**

**Story 1: Set in BotL when Percy is missing. - Sad :(**

**Story 2: Set when the twins are four. - Happy :)**

**So read and enjoy it.**

**This is: Fairy Tales**

**Annabeth, Percy **

**Summary preview: Fairy tales can be anything...**

* * *

><p>I sighed out of boredom, ignoring the snow filled scenery around me, and twirled gray, green, and golden roses together to form some sort of a rainbow bouquet. For some reason, see the flowers growing through the three-foot snow layered ground didn't even seem a little odd. Nor did the fact that those colors didn't actually exist in the rose color wheel.<p>

Perk of being in a hallucination-dream-whatever you wanted to call it- I supposed.

And when a guy around my age sat down beside me, smiling a smile I only saw in my mind anymore, I didn't really think about how it shouldn't have been possible.

Instead I glanced up at him, smirked, and went back to twirling the flowers.

His eyes rolled in mock-annoyance, and he plucked the gray rose out of my hands, and tucked it between his fingers.

"I sense a theme of symbolism here." he said, perfectly at ease, despite the glare I was giving him.

"Your gut instincts were always about the most pointless of things."

"Not always. I was right about... the fact that Zeus wouldn't blast me out of the sky when we were bring his lightening bolt back."

"It's sad that it took you that long to come up with something."

"Well I'm sorry for being an idiot. At least I don't have kelp for brains. Then the world would have been doomed. As would your social life."

I laughed, and saw him smiled at me.

"Someone has a big sense of their own importance." I teased, but suddenly sobered. "Gods, I miss you."

His eyes softened and he smiled back. "I miss you too. It's been too long since I saw you, Grover, and Thalia. But you know, Warriors and all that. But, my dear Wise Girl, I know for a fact that I will see you soon. We were talking to Artemis a few days back, and she was spouting off horrible poems that implied a certain leader of the Warriors, and the campers of Half-Blood would be encountering soon."

I raised an eyebrow. "You almost sound smart when you talk like that."

His face morphed into one of smugness. "Coming from a daughter of the Wisdom goddess, I will take that compliment."

"It was a backhanded one."

"I know. But you know what they say; always forgive your backhanding friends for they only mean you goodwill."

I gave him an incredulous look. "I think you have your sayings mixed up."

He shrugged. "Possibly, but I am fairly certain that Caesar said it sometime in his life. Possibly. Anyways, I haven't seen you in forever in your dream-state of mind nor waking self, so you probably have already heard and are just taking it really well."

I shook my head. "What are you talking about?"

He grimaced. "Gods, this will be awkward. Okay, well back, like four days ago, I was being me-though really, who else would I be, it's not as if-"

"You're rambling."

"Right. Anyways, I was being me and was caught up in the battle, and some _ordinary_ _drakon decided to kill me._ I mean, _honestly!_ It couldn't have been something cooler, like a ninja penguin with acidic-"

"You're dead?" I cut him off, my voice oddly soft.

He frowned, then sighed. "I- kind of. Really bad coma and stuff. Little chance of recovery. That."

I glared at him, suddenly furious. "But you said you were going to see me soon! Artemis said poetry on it!"

He rubbed a hand over his face. "And I will see you soon. Time passes differently in coma-states. And Artemis _did_ mention that they are going to Camp Half-Blood. I just happened to fail to mention that I wouldn't be attending and that I was switching subjects."

I bit my lip and glared, refusing to scream at my comatose best friend.

I heard him sigh in the background. "I have to go. I just wanted to make sure you knew. I- I'll see you later, okay? Goodbye Wise Girl."

And then he was gone in a flash of shadows and I was left clutching a green rose.

"Goodbye Seaweed Brain."

* * *

><p>I woke up gasping, and clutched a pillow to my stomach.<p>

Gods, that had been awful. I looked out the window of the Athena cabin, and silently stared, terrified.

_Where are you, Percy?_ I wondered, as the steady sound of the breathing of my siblings slowly pulled me back to sleep, and reminded myself that the camp thought we were the perfect story of best friends and perfect stories had happy endings.

Fairy tale-like almost.

Then a thought struck me. Fairy tales didn't always end happily.

* * *

><p><em><strong>SECOND STORY<strong>_

_'It was the best underwater kiss ever.'_

"That's my favorite fairy tale momma." Kirsten said, snuggled up against Annabeth, as she told her and Percy's tale (without all the monsters, fighting, and death) and she smiled.

"It was okay, I guess." Kayden said from across the room, studying her.

"Well _I_ love it." Percy said from the doorway, walking in and ruffling Kayden's hair before giving Kirsten a kiss on the head.

Annabeth laughed and Percy gave her his crooked grin, before turning back to the twins.

"And they lived happily ever after. The End."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Ehh. It was okay, I suppose. I never did like fairy tale endings. The end story was rushed, but whatever.<strong>

**Next Chapter: Magic**

**Reviews are NOT fairy tales, so yes it 'tis possible to give the chapter one.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	62. Magic

**Me: Hi. Well I'm just going to tell you right now I HAVE NOT READ THE SON OF NEPTUNE.**

**So before you start screaming at me that NO THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN YOU IDIOT, well, I couldn't possibly know that. All I know is that Percy eventually ends up in New Rome and becomes friends with Hazel and Frank. And that Death has an iPad. From that limited information, I have formed an AU. So whatever.**

**Should I have read the book before posting an AU? Probably. Am I going to wait for the months that it will take for me to ACTUALLY GET the book from the library because of the insanely long waiting list, before I post this chapter? No.**

**Will I rewrite Magic? Ha, funny. **

**No.**

**I don't have the time, and frankly, I don't want too. Deal.**

**Moving past the (possibly offending) serious stuff and onto the more pleasant serious stuff, thanks for the reviews! :) **

**I know, the last chapter was weird. The majority of you probably won't like this one either. Oh well.**

**This is: Magic**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Gaea**

**Summary preview: Just like magic.**

* * *

><p>He was lost, completely amnesic, and so, <em>so close.<em>

The idiot of a goddess Hera, had stolen every single one of his memories, leaving him open prey for anyone who happened to stumble across him.

Perhaps Hera had hoped to reach him before something as drastic as this meeting had happened. Perhaps she had been trusting in his Achilles Heel to help him remember something.

But Hera hadn't gotten here in time, the curse wasn't going to help him with this, the meeting was happening, and by the gods, she just _might have the hero of Olympus_.

Sure, Hera would realize her mistake soon enough, but by the time she wasted what was left of her power looking for him, there was no way she could fully restore his memories, or even attempt to give some of them back if she wanted to live.

If she somehow managed to get out of that cage, well, Gaea would be ready to capture the memories, have the new ones already planted, and be able to keep her new demigod.

This was a win-win situation, if the boy would just say yes.

Yes to seeing if she could help him, which would led to her breaking into his mind and planting the new memories, making him think she had found them. He would hate the gods and with a little Roman water, that Achilles Curse of his would be gone and it wouldn't even be a challenge for her to convert him into being her general.

She knew just have valuable he was, despite his age and her hatred of him, and even if he did die, she could always just make him came back. He would be hers to control completely, and the gods wouldn't know what hit them.

With his help, she would wake _much_ faster.

She almost sneered at the look she could see on Poseidon's face once he found out. His little champion, taking them all down with the help of her children. There would be no Perseus Jackson to save New Rome and it would fall in blood and mayhem, the daughter of Athena's mind would be chaotic over the loss of her best friend, Camp Half-Blood in shambles without its rightful leader, and Jason Grace could only do so much to convince what _very little __**might**_ have _possibly_ remained of the Romans and aid in the war. He was only one demigod, who's power did not match the sea god's son. Close perhaps, but without the experience. The world would be her's once again.

But Gaea caught the victorious sneer, just in time.

Finally, the teenager nodded, and her lips curled up as she held out a hand for him to grab.

With a flash, they were gone, just like magic.

In eight months she would be bringing Olympus to its knees, courtesy of Perseus Jackson, one of the generals of the New World's military.

And then he would die, just like all the others.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Well that was a little AU that popped into my head after re-reading <em>Dreams.<em> It very well could have happened, too, had Hera been busier with Jason and left Percy on his own (which is what I'm guessing happened).**

**And I would have loved it. Well, not the Percy dying part. But the part about him working for her, then suddenly in the end turning or something. Expected, but still interesting.**

**Next Chapter: Do Not Disturb**

**It's cute and sweet, not morbid and depressing. But there must be one question.**

**Travis, Percy, or Nico as a dad. Not my usual OC's, but someone else. Logan and the twins would not exist, if you choose Percy or Nico.**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	63. Do Not Disturb

**Me: Hello again.**

**First things first (I never understood that saying. Why would you call them the first things if they aren't going to be first?): I know it has been awhile since a real update. I apologize.**

**In case any of you die hard fans out there, remembered my whole 'This shall be finished by April' comment, consider it failed.**

**On the bright side, I already have the next chapter written.**

**Second: HUGE SHOUT OUT TO ****_Rylee Wyatt _****for adding over THREE PAGES of reviews just by themselves. God. XD**

**Third: This is not the preview. I had ONE LAST WEEK TO GO and then my computer ****_crashed_**** and the file was lost.**

**7,000+ words, over one month of typing, GONE.**

**I was furious.**

**I am never going to be able to re-type that the way I want to, so I'm just going to do a different Travis/child thing.**

**Fourth: I went back and started editing the earlier chapters. I fixed almost all of the spelling mistakes, and grammar errors for chapters 1-40. I'm still working on the last 20+ but the majority are done.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Travis, Katie, OC**

**Summary preview: Daddy's little princess...**

* * *

><p>When Vanessa was born, I knew instantly that she was goin to be her parent's Little Princess.<p>

The way I tickled her, and Katie cooed over her, she was going to be spoiled rotten.

Even if she did attempt to break our eardrums most of the day, every day.

* * *

><p>After months and <em>months<em> of repeating 'Dada' so that she would be able to say my name first, it finally happened.

While rocking her so that she would _sleep_ for once, she kind of smiled at me and said, "Dahdah."

It was probably the proudest moment of my life.

* * *

><p>Vanessa was always closer to me then her mother for whatever reason.<p>

She was always following me around, once she was able to walk, and I was the first person she went to when she needed a questioned answered.

Her emerald eyes sparkled with laughter after hearing some of my more innocent pranks that I had pulled with Conner back at Camp Half-Blood, and her razor-like blonde hair was long and straight by the time she was nine, and what Katie said "The girly-est tomboy I have ever seen."

I taught her how to play sports, how to pull off the best of pranks, and what being the descendant of the plant and messenger gods could mean in terms of getting people to do what you wanted while looking responsible eating vegetables flavored with actually good tasting vegetables.

* * *

><p>She was fifteen before the words, "I hate you" were yelled at me.<p>

At the time I was furious, so I didn't really care, so long as she stopped breaking the law.

It was over two years later, after months of rehab, weeks of awkward and anger-filled meetings, before she bit down her pride and said, "I'm sorry."

And when Conner arrived for a family get-together and was about to take the turn I was going to use to go against Vanessa in air hockey, Katie glared at him and whisper-hissed, "Do _not_ disturb their bonding time, Stoll."

So he didn't, I got the turn against Vanessa at air hockey, and once it was over the awkward meetings stopped being so awkward.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: This chapter sucked. <strong>**_Really_**** badly. But I ****_needed_**** to update because I needed to get off this chapter and on to other chapters of different things.**

**I might one day go back and try to re-write the epic Travis-as-awesome-father fic, but... yeah. It probably won't happen.**

**Next chapter: Multitasking**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	64. Multitasking

**Me: Decided to take ****_HecateA_**** advice, bought the SoN, and just finished. Seriously irritated at the ending. Highly amused at the:**

***staring at a camp of ****Laistrygonians*******

**"What are they?" A (Canadian) Frank ask.**

**"Canadians" Percy answers.**

**"****_Excuse me?_****"**

**I laughed my head off.**

**The reviews were amazing, as always. :) Thank you so much!**

**This is: Multitasking**

**It's a freeverse-poem-ish and multistory chapter.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Percy, Nico, Annabeth, Rachel, Thalia**

**Summary preview: Multitasking your life away.**

* * *

><p>"I find it highly amusing on how you can steer the ship, talk to me, and manage to read the manual all at the same time. I didn't know you could do multitasking so well."<p>

"I resent that."

"You would. It was meant as a compliment, though I now realize it was a backhanded one."

"You think?" Percy asked dryly, not even looking up.

Nico just laughed.

_Laughing, steering, sparkling_

_Breathing, seeing, entertaining_

_The ocean is always busy_

_._

* * *

><p><em>I am insane.<em>

Nico sighed in acceptance, then threw the article over schizophrenia into the corner of his room, while mentally debating on what to do with the small army of ghost that had taken up residence in his training room.

Then he picked up a piece of paper, pulled out his phone, and started writing down symptoms of schizophrenia, while calling Percy to see if he could legally be considered insane.

A feeling of loss went off again, reminding him that Death was still mocking him, and Nico sighed. Death had always been better at multitasking then him.

_Whispering, calling, demanding_

_Taking, sneering, taunting_

_Death is always busy_

_._

* * *

><p>Annabeth sighed. The <em>construction<em> was right, the _measurements_ were right, and the building _looked_ right.

So why didn't it _feel_ right?

She gazed critically at the building, snapped open her phone and called her co-constructor Olivia, while still searching for flaws.

While conversing with Olivia, her eyes narrowed in on a crack in the far wall. Rushing towards it, Annabeth smiled. It was only paint.

She told one of the crew members to clean it off, and then wrote down some notes over the overall appearance, still talking to Olivia.

Annabeth had always been the best of her friends at multitasking.

_Whirling, pacing, studying_

_Measuring, testing, observing_

_Wisdom is always busy_

_._

* * *

><p>Rachel looked down at the drawing, frowning. The image wasn't <em>good<em> enough. The hair wasn't dark enough, but if she added too much paint then it would be _too_ dark. The expression was alright, but in art, there was always room for improvement.

So she tossed the entire picture away into on of her floor's corners, grabbed a new paintbrush set and canvas, and set down to draw again.

And when the Oracle mugged her, she woke up to find that she still couldn't remember anything, but the picture showed quite enough.

A tranquil setting on Olympus, the gods either smiling or laughing, a few satyrs and minor gods walking around.

Beneath them, sat two camps, Camp Half-Blood in a state of peace, completely at ease. But something was off.

The guy that most people were listening to,...

It was some blonde guy in a purple shirt.

In the other camp, _Camp Jupiter_ her mind whispered, was a miniature army camp line-up.

The leaders were two people in togas and purple capes. One the right was a girl with dark hair and a determined look.

On the left... was Percy Jackson.

And in the distance...

Rachel screamed and leaped backwards, seeing the horrifying monsters, marching towards the mini army, prepared to destroy them all.

Unfortunately, Rachel had never been very good at multitasking and the picture was knocked over into a can of paint, quickly sinking towards the bottom, even as she tried to make a rainbow to IM Annabeth to warn her.

_Seeing, making, believing_

_Changing, frustrating, laughing_

_The Oracle of Delphi is always busy_

_._

* * *

><p>Thalia gazed outside as the rain poored down, and briefly considered going back to sleep. It was, after all, 2:53 A.M. and by all rights she should be asleep.<p>

But no, she was at her cousin's place and she just _had_ to have a nightmare about a certain blonde haired son of Hermes. It was probably bad that even ten years later, he was still haunting her, but whatever. The rain was soothing her mood, turning her terror at the dream into a distant curiosity while she watched lightning flash in the distance.

So when she started crying silently, she didn't even notice until she was laughing quietly.

Because her emotions on Luke had always multitasked, switching between love and betrayal, hate and lonely-ness, longing and irritation.

But through all that, she would always miss him.

_Falling, clearing, changing_

_Inspiriting, controlling, illustrating_

_The sky was always busy_

_._

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Sigh. If only this chapter had been called 'Busy' instead. Oh well. Thoughts?<strong>

**Next Chapter: Horror**

**Should it be about a (half-mock half serious) fight between Aphrodite, Artemis, and Apollo, or Nico over the whole I-just-got-busted-at-the-roman-camp-by-my-somewhat-favorite-cousin? Either will have a non-depressing ending.**

**Thoughts are welcomed!**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	65. Horror

**Me: Thanks for all the reviews! **

**SHOUT OUT TO: ****_PercyplusAnnabeth _****for reviewing most of the chapters!***

**Not quite the half-mock fight I was going for. More like, serious fight with a random interruption from Apollo.**

**This is: Horror**

**Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis**

**Summary preview: Three strikes, you're out.**

* * *

><p>Aphrodite examined Apollo's hair. "No." she decided. "Shaw hair is not your look. Blondes really cannot pull that look off once they reach the age of twenty. Try an almost-but-not quite buzz-cut spikes. Your eyes needed to be <em>free<em>!"

Across the room, Artemis narrowed her eyes. "Are you insulting my idiotic brother?"

Aphrodite nodded, absentmindedly, watching Apollo morph his hair.

Artemis glowered, but Aphrodite having been given this look for thousands of years, didn't even acknowledge it.

Mistake one.

* * *

><p>Apollo tilted his head, and stared at Aphrodite's reflection. "I have a sudden urge to speak a hi-"<p>

"Don't! It will get us nothing but pain." Aphrodite protested, then switched to a teenager look. Inky black hair in waves, with dark blue eyes, debating on whether or not to ruin or create a romance with the overall look.

Apollo rolled his eyes. "You guys never let me speak in rhymes. It's like you think I'm _awful _or something." he mocked, and then laughed. "The god of rhymes is a fail at his job. Go me."

A passing Artemis shook her head, and was about to step in when Aphrodite spoke up.

"You don't fail at your job. You just need a new method of inspiration. Now you sister, fails at her job. I mean, who seriously makes young girls kill love between themselves and every other guy out there whether they know him or not? What the heck is the point of that? Lesbian needs?"

But then she turned and flashed a mocking smirk at Artemis before turning completely back to Apollo, showing that not only did she know that Artemis had been there the entire time, but was mocking her for it as well.

Mistake two.

* * *

><p>Aphrodite glanced down at the image of the two Roman Praetors, Percy and Reyna and almost lazily drew a mental image of a heart around their heads. She briefly thought back to what would happen to Annabeth, then decided she really didn't care.<p>

Because Annabeth and Percy thoughts led to Reyna and Jason thoughts, which in turn led to Piper thoughts which made her feel like a terrible person. How was she suppose to know that Hera was going to force her daughter into liking someone she had already found a match for?

And it wasn't like she could just _leave_ the daughter of Bellona alone forever. If Jason Grace had to switch romantic interest, then so did Percy Jackson. It was only fair, after all. Besides, what a cute little ironic couple they would make.

Annabeth didn't even _appreciate_ what she had gone through to get her and Percy together in the first place. Something that was shown by her ranking that smug, arrogant, _monster_ of a goddess before her.

Stupid child of Athena.

But right before she could make the Roman Praetors actually an official couple, Artemis threw open the door, a furious look in her eyes.

"_What are you doing?_" she demanded.

Aphrodite raised an eyebrow. "Creating happiness. I suppose that is a foreign concept to you, as you hate all forms of love, but-"

"You _will not_ change Jackson and Annabeth's relationship." Artemis seethed.

"Of course I will."

Mistake three.

"No, you won't, because that is a selfish, conceited, hurtful, and pointless thing to do!" Artemis yelled, and Aphrodite actually took a step back in shock.

Then she narrowed her eyes.

"And how is it that exactly?"

Artemis gave a humorless laughed. "Gods, you're blind. Don't tell me you can see just how much they mean to each other. You take him away from her, she will be broken. You are only doing this because you don't want your daughter to be alone! And for another thing, do you really think that taking away Percy's mortal point is a wise decision? Are you _trying_ to make us lose the war? You freaking idiot!"

"What I am doing," Aphrodite said in a forced calm voice, "Is making sure that they end up happy. Selfish? Is it selfish to want the girl to be happy? Annabeth will be fine, you know this as well as I do. If worst comes to worst, she joins your little group of arrow-happy teenagers.

"Conceited? How the Hades is this conceited? Hurtful? Would it be worse to leave an innocent person alone when they could have had everything they needed but was taken away from them _twice?_ Pointless? Do I need to repeat what I just said? The mortal point thing is just stupid. You know that he doesn't have the invincibility curse anymore. And no, not really. We have two powerful demigods on our side. Annabeth will immerse herself into the war, which will help with the whole healing process. I know what I'm doing, 'Mist." she countered perfectly.

Apollo ran into the room at that moment, and took Artemis by the shoulders. "Don't say it! We can't deal with two wars at once! The whales of Japan will do just fine on their own! No need to go all 'Big Three' on them!" he snapped he expression on of horror.

The two goddesses stared at him bewildered and Apollo let go of Artemis' shoulders.

Apollo laughed nervously as he took in the scene before him.

"Oh, wow, look at that. Wrong room and argument. Possibly wrong month...year, if I think about it. Well, I'm just going to go..." he trailed off, then escaped through the still opened door.

"Moving on," Artemis said, but her voice was lower then what it was, and much slower, showing her confusion.

Apollo popped his head back in for a moment. "Oh, I almost forgot. Aphrodite, let sis have this one. Annabeth need to be stable for her upcoming role. You can work out your Perenya and Percabeth issues later."

A triumphant smirk crossed the goddess of the moon's face before she left the goddess of love standing alone, fuming.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Kind of random. Not what I had originally planned, but it was okay. Thoughts?<strong>

**Next Chapter: Trap**

**Should it be a continuation of Tower? 'Cause if it is. then my sarcasm needs to get back to work...**

**Guess what! (winks at a reader who knows who they are)* Chapter 68 Hero will be a Mark of Athena Reunion that is cute if not fluffy! Just thought I would let you know, since I so rarely do cuteness.**

**Reviews are fabulous.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	66. Traps

**Me: Fail of a dance time again! 300+ reviews! In only five chapters too... O_O I love you guys.**

**This is: Traps.**

**You guys wanted a sequel one-shot to Tower, so here it is! **

**Recently I have become utterly obsessed with the song ****_Romeo and Cinderella_**** by Hatsune Miku and/or Nodoame even thought they don't sing it in English and the only English version I can find of it is fan-made. But the English version has the right translation and the girl who sings it has a really good voice, so its cool. You should listen to it. Seriously. (No, remusly... virtual cookie if you got that!)**

**Actually, it is kind of weird... but I have found that it inspires me to actually write non-idiotic things which is good.**

**And the song is eternally stuck in my mind.**

**Sigh.**

**I don't own PJO cause if I did Thalia would be the bestie (not love interest but bestie) instead of Annabeth.**

**Thalia, Percy**

**Summary preview: Prince. Psh. He was a moron, not a prince.**

* * *

><p><em>Two Months Later...<em>

I walked into my favorite hid-out, and collapsed on the hazardously made bed no even bothering to check my thief traps.

I bit my thumbnail and briefly wondered how Percy was living it up now, but think of him brought up questions of my father and that gave me a very painful headache.

So I stopped biting my nail, closed my eyes, and tried to go to sleep.

And then the laughing started.

I shot up, looked left, and speak of the devil, Percy Jackson was standing against a wall, laughing like a freaking hyena.

"You- you just- I sorry, but thumb-sucking and total lack of observation in a wanted criminal is not something I would have ever thought I would use to describe you, Thalia." he choked out between peals of laughter.

I stared at him, utterly shocked.

"How,- why- what the _Hades_ are you _doing_ here, Jackson? How did you even know where I was going stay? Were you _stalking_ me?" I demanded, standing up quickly, leaning towards the door. Percy winked.

"You are oh so forgetful, Thalia. In its own frustrating way, it could almost be described as endearing. Let me explain this once more. The gods love me. In turn, I know all. It really isn't that hard to comprehend, even if you _are_ a child of Zeus."

I narrowed my eyes. "Did you just insult me through the name of the king of the sky?"

Percy's wicked grin came back. "Well I _am_ a son of Poseidon, you know. I have the whole family rivalry to uphold."

"Is this about the whole your uncle is my father who is your father's brother and since your father is Poseidon that makes the aforementioned father Hades or Zeus thing you hinted at before pulling your disappearing act two months ago?"

"You catch on quick, Airhead."

"Oh my gods, do _not_ call me that. Anything but that."

"Whatever you say, Pinecone Face."

"How did you get-" I cut off and took a deep breath. "You know what? I don't even want to know."

"Smart girl. But no, it is only because you are hiding out in a forest of pine. You try to blend so your face must be pine to blend fully. Pine trees have cones. You're face is the cone hiding in plain sight in the forest." Percy explained, a kind look on his face.

"You know, that was actually kind of deep."

Percy laughed again. "Excellent. I was completely winging it."

I snorted, then sighed.

"Figures. Moving on to the next question in the poorly worded phrase, _why_ are you here and not back at your palace, living it up?"

"Am I not allowed to visit every now and then? Am I not _important_ enough to be in your presence, Thalia? Shall I take my offended pride and-"

"Did you get lost? Because it is totally okay to just admit that you got lost. I would only mock you for every now and then." I broke through his rant with a weary voice and looked at him with a bored expression on my face.

That quickly changed when I saw his red, burning face as he spluttered.

"I _do not_ get lost. A royal _never_ gets lost. The world simply changes its paths into unfamiliar routes occasionally." he huffed finally.

I burst out laughing. "Oh my gods, you _are_ lost! Actually lost! That is _rich._ And 'a royal never gets lost'? Please!" I mocked before breaking into giggles again. "If I didn't believe that you had grown up with noble pricks before, that sentence certainly proved me wrong."

Percy was scowling. "Whatever." he muttered.

I calmed myself down to give him a wry grin. "I'm sorry to say, you came to the wrong person for a guide. My face is wanted everywhere, especially after I pulled off the golden rod heist, with _your_ help no less. The palace guards would pee themselves in excitement if they saw me willingly near the palace in the near future."

Percy's good mood that had switched to depressed mood picked up a little bit. Bipolar child. "You're right. The new recruits would probably faint in terror or stress. On the bright side, I seriously am not lost. I just... _can't_ go back. You know? Well, no, you don't." Percy babbled.

"I could, you know, if you told me." I suggested slightly. He gave me a suffering look then sighed.

"Okay well, anyways, King Gabriel is a jerk. Hence my earlier living conditions. He married into the family, the fat suck-up. As you should know, my mom was the princess which led to her attracting Poseidon's attention. Huh. That sounds vaguely creeper-ish. Weird. Oh my gods what if-"

"Do you have ADHD?" I asked bewildered at the sudden change in topic.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Yes. Sorry. Anyways, Poseidon meets mom, brief fling occurs, scandalous pregnancy is mostly kept under wraps, quick marriage with the first guy my grandfather thought was worthy so that mom didn't look, you know, bad. So Gabe turned out to be a jerk after Grandfather died, and basically threatens me to make sure that Mom never divorces him. Without me being within his reach though, he really doesn't have anything to threaten her with. And I just really don't _want_ to go back. It sucked living with him. Like, child abuse sucked. I get grounded because I was being rebellious and as you know, snuck out after that. Thrown in tower the next day. Gods, I sound like a bloody _girl_ when I say that." Percy explained.

I wondered if he was saying this so that I would understand, or so that he wasn't the only person with this information. Either way, it was kind of an interesting story.

"Wow. How long was it after you got thrown in tower-prison before you met the gods?" I asked, the thought suddenly popping into my mind.

Percy winced. "About two weeks. I had been a bit... _upset_ over my new living conditions- hey, don't give me that look. I grew up having the castle spoil me.- Anyways, so there I was, upset, bored, and reckless within the first week. I made a promise on the River Styx that if I couldn't get out of the tower by second week that I would meet the Big Three gods." Percy rolled his eyes here.

"I was a bit arrogant, as you can probably tell. Anyways, I never really believed in the gods, even though my mother always told me that Poseidon was my father. I just thought she was ashamed of ever doing _that_ with Gabe so much she deluded herself into believing that. Anyways, lack of belief in the gods, so of course I didn't believe in the River Styx. Lets just say that this was when most of my trial-and-error occurred. After failing my hastily made promise, I woke up the next morning to a few guys in their mid-twenties screaming at each other. And then they turned on me."

My eyes widened in just flat out horror, even though I knew it would have a some-what happy ending.

"You remember my room. Prisoner bed, cold tiled ground, rather large and rather obvious escape through suicide window. Fairly cold at all times. So here I am, sitting on the prisoner bed, when Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are start demanding what they are doing here and why they can't leave when Zeus suddenly realizes I look at bit _too_ familiar. So he turns to Poseidon to ask if I look familiar to him as well only to see the glaringly obvious similarities. Zeus threw a fit," he continued completely ignoring the suddenly booming thunder, "Hades picked up on what it was over and started making his own accusations in a ridiculous way- don't touch that piece of gold." Percy said suddenly, glaring a chunk of gold that suddenly appeared from nowhere with a wary look.

"Do I even want to know?" I asked, looking at the gold with a hint of longing, but mostly mistrust.

"It's cursed. Right, so Zeus and Hades are throwing a hissy fit,- for the love of yourselves, calm down! Take a truthful insult to your pride ever once in awhile." Percy yelled tipping his head back as it started to storm out side and he was surrounded in a circle of precious gems.

I raised an eyebrow, and Percy shook his head. "The gods have ego issues. Moving on, Poseidon starts defending himself, until he takes a good look at me, then at his only slightly differing form. Then he just sighed and asked me who my mother was. Me, being in the utterly shocked state that I was, immediately insulted him. I refuse to repeat it because he said if I did I would find myself no longer able to have water molecules work in my body and would end up a shrived piece of flesh and dry bone. Either way, it stopped the other two gods long enough for them to be shocked that a human was speaking to them this way. Long story short, they were insulted as well and about to kill me when an Iris Message from Apollo said some total bull that I would be important later and whoever killed me would be cursed or something stupid like that, but it worked. Instead I was given a trial right there in my prison room and only got let off because of Apollo's fake vision swaying the self-preservation that the gods have honed. The end."

I looked back at him in bewilderment. "First: why would Apollo even care? Second: how does this endear you to the gods? Third: WHAT THE HADES IS WRONG WITH YOU? DON'T YOU KNOW BETTER THEN TO INSULT THE BEINGS THAT MAKE UP THE FREAKING WORLD?" I demanded.

Percy had the nerve to laugh. "Excellent points. First: Apollo only cared because he saw that I would help him win a bet against his sister and he needed me alive for that to work. Second: endearment to the gods only came later. You wanted first meetings. Third: I didn't believe in them and at the time was half-convinced that I was hallucinating. Imagine the shock I felt when I fully realized that I had almost died because I had been a moron." Percy explained a little mischievous smile on his face.

"Gods, I don't understand you." I muttered looking down. I saw Jackson shrugged out of the corner of my eye, his smile a little strained now.

"Most people don't. I should probably get going. Thanks for listening." he told me heading towards the door expertly stepping over the cursed gems and ignoring the fact that it was pouring outside.

My eyes snapped to him. "You're leaving?"

"'I should probably get going' tends to imply this, Thalia."

I frowned and decided against mentioning the storm. "I know." I snapped, then hesitated. "But.., I'll see you later right?"

Percy's eyebrows raised. "But of course, Miss Grace. The Fates have wished it so." and then he was gone.

I sighed and lied back down. "Well _someone_ knows how to leave dramatically." I said aloud to myself and could have sworn I heard the wind laughing.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts?<strong>

**IMPORTANT~!~!~!~!~!~!~!IMPORTANT~!~!~!~!~!~!IMPORTANT~!~!~!~!~!~!~!**

**Yesterday, every story I have (aside from this one) has been placed in; -Discontinued-, -Hiatus-, or -Complete- category.**

**(For reasons that will not be discussed over or compromised on.)**

**Anyways, I have free time again. This means I will probably be bored. That means I will start another story soon based off a specific one-shot out of 100 Drabbles In the World of Percy Jackson.**

**I need you guys to VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! It is just as important as reviews 'cause I'm going to be stressing out over what you guys end up choosing which means the writing flow is attacked with... writer's block.**

**So you need to, please, VOTE.**

**CLOSES - 3/10/12-**

**That should give you enough time to simply click on my name above, and throw in a vote. Or view the choices if you don't have a profile and reviewing which one you want.**

**Next Chapter: Playing the Melody**

**:)**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	67. Playing the Melody

**Me: Thank you guys oh so much for all the reviews! :D**

**This is: Playing the Melody**

**And this is: A FREEVERSE! And not just ****_ANY_**** freeverse!**

**A NON-KILLING ****_PERCABETH_**** FREEVERSE!**

**I know, I was shocked too once I finished writing.**

**Can anyone tell that I am trying to make up for murdering Percabeth so much while I can get happy inspiration?**

**It won't last much longer thats for sure; taking into consideration of how much I twisted their relationship in this drabble...**

**AU human world. (Think usual high school Percy gang leader, Annabeth kind of bitchy prep fic)**

**I don't own PJO nor the lyrics from random songs.**

**Note: Has any of my readers before the editing noticed that I re-wrote ****_Rainbow_**** when I edited it?**

**Annabeth, Percy**

**Summary preview: Playing the melody of his heart...**

* * *

><p>She was the one to contact him in need of a contract<p>

He was the one convince that it would be an interesting, albeit pointless thing to do with his free time

It was a somewhat alarming how little they faked anything

_{get ready for a heart-heart-heartbreak}_

.

He gave her a heart locket just to see if she noticed that he was beginning to notice and remember her reactions to things

She drew a guitar on his palm, obliviously asking the same in vise versa

Mind games never end well

_[A hymn called faith and misery]_

_._

Once she asked him if he actually loved her

The response was a smirk and raised eyebrow as if daring her to question the fragile topic

She rolled her eyes, but never did ask again

_(I can see right through all your empty lies)_

.

He walks her home one night, in the middle of a thunderstorm when it seems as if every taxi they see is ignoring them

She calls him a idiot and laughs the next day when she finds out that he caught a cold

The irony she ignored was that she sneezed violently in the middle of her laughter

\_If I can get through this, I can get through anything/_

.

She hates him when in the middle of a fight she realizes that she can't just retreat and regroup by locking away her emotions

He is furious when he finds out that he actually _cares_ what she thinks of him and desperately tries to fix it by locking up his heart

Finally they notice that they no longer have the privilege of being the sole owner of their hearts

_~^*^~ Please don't let my love turn out to be such a tragedy just like Juliet's was ~^*^~_

.

He calls her first to apologize

She throws the wrapped gift in his face before slamming the door

Right before she opened it again and swearing that if he ever left her again she would take pleasure in murdering him

~&&~_Somehow I always know the right things to say_~&&~

.

She was playing the melody of his heart

He was steadily taking her's away from her

Neither seemed to mind that much anymore.

_{Quote "You are my soul" unquote}_

_._

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts?<strong>

**If you can correctly guess the lyrics (the italicized note at the end of every paragraph) to every song on there, then I will let you decide what to base the theme of chapter 69 ****_Mischief Managed._**

**Just know that they all come from different songs.**

**DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! FOR MY NEXT PJO FIC!**

**Leading: Gaia having Percy, and Preyna prequel.**

**CLOSES: 3/10/12**

**Next Chapter: Hero**

**Reunion scene!**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	68. Hero

**Me: The reviews were awesome as always.**

**SHOUT OUT TO: ****_Musicismyblood_**** for winning the Song Lyric Contest! Hope you enjoy picking out the theme for ****_Annoyance- _****and thank you for forgiving the chapter mistake. **

**:)**

**Percabeth freaks: You all should be freaking dancing with happiness. I will let you know that while I ****_do_**** like happy Percabeth reunions, I am a angst writer. Take a long look at my favorite list and you will see the Angst group is on there quite a lot. Non-remembering/ totally Roman Percy just have a freaking ****_better plot_**** to me in my honest opinion.**

**But no. For this I have gone through all the sappy, fluffy Percabeth meet-ups that I liked and wrote this. Feel freaking sappy for it too.**

_**THIS DOESN'T EVEN **__**SOUND**__** LIKE ME.**_

**But I like it anyway. :)**

**This is: Hero**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Annabeth, Percy**

**Summary preview: The depths of which I missed you, you kelp brain idiot...**

* * *

><p><em>Take a deep, calming breath, Annabeth.<em>

Yeah. Because that was working _so_ well.

"Leo! _What are you doing?"_ I demanded, watching the mechanical Hispanic try not to get even more tangled up in the steel rods then he already was. He shot me a sheepish grin, right before tripping again and falling hard to the ground.

"Ow." came his muffled voice as Leo stood back up, shook his head a few times, then got untangled.

"Sorry 'bout that, Annabeth. _Someone _suddenly has the nervous twitching habit and the ship keeps rocking back and forth, which I am sure you have noticed," Leo adds, switching his pointed glare from Jason to a nervous smile at me, probably remembering one of the many screaming sessions I had with other campers in front of him when they insulted me in some way. "Which caused the rods to spread out in my path of walking... yeah." Leo trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

I scowled and turned around, ignoring Jason's reply, praying to the gods that Piper would wake up and _make_ them shut up.

Gods.

And then, the Stoll come running up the stairs with a furious Clarriss behind them, cursing them to the bottom of Hades. Thankfully one of the Apollo kids trips the brothers, and Will Solace puts a restraining hand on Clarriss' arm.

Katie Gardner helps the two brothers up and I open my mouth to thank her when the ship falls twenty or so feet.

"Jason!" I snapped, clutching the rail, forcing myself not to start screaming, like half the crew was.

The ship abruptly stopped falling, and Jason took a deep breath.

"Sorry." he said in a shaky voice, then gave me a grim smile. "But I think we are almost ready to land."

I glance down, and feel my heart pick up with the sudden burst of happiness coming from that one part of my mind that keeps repeating _You're almost there._

"They will allow us to land, right?" Katie ask, leaning over the ship's rail to get a better look, right as Piper appears with a distressed look.

"What was that? Is everyone okay?" she demands, looking around as though she will immediately be able to find someone clutching their side in silent agony.

"It's fine, Beauty Queen. Chill. Jason just had _another_ nervous twitch."

"Shut _up_, Leo." they both say at the same time, even if for different reasons.

I rolled my eyes when Piper immediately blushed and Jason determinately stared at the horizon.

Idiots.

We start to descend, and the closer we get to the ground the louder the part of my brain going _You're almost there_ got.

And the harder it was to breathe.

I glanced back at Piper and Jason, and noticed the awkward way they move around each other. I know for a fact that Jason suspects that the girl named Reyna was his girlfriend and doesn't want to hurt her by dating Piper even if he doesn't remember their relationship. That kind of gives me a little bit of hope.

But then again, Hera _likes_ Jason. She has a reason for giving him back his memories so soon. Hera _despises_ Percy. For all I know she didn't even give him his name, and he has been completely remolded into someone I could never understand, let alone love.

_You love him._

And I know I do, and I know that I never had a chance to tell him, and I _know_ that it is a possibility that he _doesn't care_ who I was to him, that he even _resents_ it-

_Deep breaths, Annabeth._

I did as I advised myself, and try not to let the fact that my hands are shaking be advertised to everyone else.

We group together before leaving and I only notice when Conner takes my arm and gently pushes me forward.

"You've been our leader for eight months now, Annabeth. Don't give up on us yet." he says me, and I see the rest of the crew nodding with him, some smiling encouragingly, some of them using their expressions to dare me to leave them to their fate.

I give them a short nod, and look over at Jason.

"Come on, Grace. We've got a revolution to led." I tell him, only half-teasing.

But Jason smiles anyways, and we step off the ship, facing the lined up army.

I hear his sharp intake of breath even as my nerves start screaming at me to get back on the ship, that if I don't move _right now_ then I will be killed, and how _stupid_ I was to even _think_ that I could help bring us together-

And then Jason has my wrist and is whispering, "Be calm, collected, and whatever you do _do not show weakness._ The camp should have elected a new praetor in my place yesterday, and if it is Octavian, like I suspect it is, he will stop at nothing to make sure you are all destroyed. And then he will dance on your graves."

I narrowed my eyes. "Nice guy." I mutter. Jason laughed, a harsh, humorless sound.

"You have no idea. I just hope to Jupiter that Terminus doesn't start yelling about security issues. You don't want to get into it with him, and that will just put Camp Jupiter on the edge even more. Just follow my lead." he tells me, and together we walk a bit in front of the Greeks, stopping at what even the Stolls can tell is a barrier line.

The Romans watch us warily, and part, letting two people I assume are the praetors, through.

The girl on the right with long, thick, dark brown hair and piercing eyes must be Reyna. Something in the back of my mind shuffles and I realized that she is familiar, even if I can't place her at the moment.

I look at Jason and see a soft smile on his face, and his shoulders relax even more.

Then I turn to the guy beside her.

Messy black hair, sea-green eyes staring at us curiously, tan broad shoulders, as proud as any royal.

Percy.

I compare him to the hero in my memory and find that for once, my memory has failed me completely. He almost has seemed to grow yet another few inches, his skin tone isn't an almost washed out color as the image in my thoughts, but a perfect tan, and by the gods, his smile is amazing.

Oddly enough, the first thought through my mind is, _If this was a monarchy, the Percy and Reyna would certainly be the King and Queen._

The second is how great it feels to see his gaze stop on me, and see him slightly tilt his head.

A grin that I would know anywhere breaks across his face as Percy says, "I am so glad you aren't just a figment of my imagination."

And then we're laughing, and I cross the boarder, not caring about Jason's whispered hisses, and then Percy's arms are around me, and for the world can burn and die for all I care, as long as I can stay where I am.

I breathe in, and commit his sea-wind smell to my memory which has done him so little justice.

Then he pulls back, studies my face, still wearing his smile, and laughs.

"I've missed you, Wise Girl." his eyes are shining, and then he looks over my head and grins even more before turning back towards the Romans.

"I would like to introduce you to my friends from Camp Half-Blood." Percy told them, and while Reyna is nodding along with him, her gaze is still fixed on Jason.

Percy leans down and whispers in my ear, "I really have missed you."

I blink and smirk up at him. "Seaweed Brain, do you honestly think I didn't know that?" I ask him, even though I spent countless nights freaking out over whether or not he had.

And maybe it's just the hormones of seeing Percy again, but at that moment looking around at the half-hopeful, half-suspicious Romans, and the excited yet wary Greeks, I am certain that we _can_ do this.

We can make our parents proud.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts?<strong>

**Next Chapter: Annoyance-**

**WARNING: Since I am letting someone else pick out the theme, it might be awhile until I update. I know that afterwords it ****_will_**** be a long time until I update. I'm working on chapter 70 which will actually be a different story on my profile after I post it and it is going to be ****_long _by my records****. Like 10,000 words long.**

**DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! FOR MY NEXT PJO FIC!**

**Just go to my profile and click Vote Now! to vote.**

**CLOSES: 3/10/12**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	69. Annoyance

**Me: The theme is Nico and balloons. Thanks to my faithful reviews, who seem to be the only readers out there sometimes.**

**This is: Annoyance-**

**I don't own Percy Jackson && the Olympians.**

**Nico, Persephone**

**Summary preview: ****_What_**** is ****_with_**** you and freaking flower balloons?**

* * *

><p>Family fights suck, whether you are a demigod or not.<p>

Family fights between your dad, the god of the Underworld, your step-mom, the goddess of Spring, and you, the Ghost King/ son of Hades, tend to end up being a little stranger then others.

Hence, the Flower Incident.

Gods, that had been a horrible waste of my life...

"Look, you ungrateful little brat, I am throwing you a part and it _will have flower balloons!_" Persephone yelled at me.

I flicked my hair out of my eyes for a moment, fuming silently.

"You do understand that I am a teenage guy, right? And that I _do_ have friends, who are perfectly happy to throw me a sweet sixteen." I informed her, with a cool, if slightly patronizing tone.

Persephone glared at me. "I am perfectly aware that the sea spawn and know-it-all blonde have the habit of socializing with you out of pity. That does not mean that they will take time out of their schedule in order to amuse a recently turned sixteen year old that would probably terrify anyone they took him out to meet." she snapped.

I felt like hitting something, but instead laughed humorously for a few moments. "You are delusional. And besides, why are you throwing me a party if you are so busy?" I raised an eyebrow and let a faint smirk cross my lips. "Unless you are implying that two _demigods_ have a better life, then a goddess of Spring trapped in the underworld, Step-Mother."

Persephone picked up on the implied mocking and I barely moved out of the way of a blast of power that would have most likely had me end up a daisy yet _again._

I briefly debated on whether it was worn whatever punishment Hades would throw at me if I attacked his wife, before Hades himself walked into the room, looked at the patch of a complex garden of floor, Persephone's furious expression, then sighed.

"Leave, Nico. Go... find Thantos." he told me, still not even looking at me.

But I understood. Thantos could be anywhere right now, and who was to say that I could take a little detour the next day, at Percy's apartment on the day of my birthday?

Everywhere had to be checked after all.

"Of course, Father." I answered and shadow traveled away barely hearing Persephone start ranting about flowered balloons.

"What an annoyance-" I started to mutter before landing in a field of flower roots that I promptly tripped over.

"Screw you, Fates." I said, before standing up and leave the field before Persephone found out and buried me there.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Meh.<strong>

**This was difficult to write. The challenge itself had lots of possibilities but this is what I thought of and this is what I shall post.**

**Next Chapter: 67%**

**DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!**

**CLOSES: 3/10/12**

**Thoughts? (I do mean everyone)**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	70. 67

**Me: Hi guys. :)**

**FIRST: This chapter will be short.**

**Second: I know that it's been forever since I updated. Sorry about that.**

**Third: In the meantime, I wrote like, six other chapters, and at one time this chapter was well over 10,000 words.**

**Fourth: Then the plot failed so I destroyed it.**

**Fifth: This is a highly random drabble consisting of only dialogue, that I wrote in the wee hours of the morning after four AMPs. FOUR. With a slightly OOC Percy. (He's sleep deprived.)**

**Sixth: Thank you guys for all the reviews. :) Can you get to 350?**

**This is: 67%**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Summary preview: Progress was progress, okay?**

* * *

><p>"Do you even understand the word 'improvement'?"<p>

"Oh, shut it, Annabeth."

"No, I'm serious Seaweed Brain. I know you understand the language. I've see you speak it flawlessly."

"Look, I'm tired. My brain is in pain from that stupid sword fight accident. I'm sorry that at 6:00 A.M. I wasn't prepared to conjugate Latin verbs for the next two hours on a test."

"You made a 47% on it."

"And what did you make? A freaking 100%?"

"Actually I made a 67% on it, so no worries Percy."

"Nico? When did you even get here? Did you use a door like a normal demigod, or did you bend out of the shadows like a ninja penguin?"

"... just how long have you been awake?"

"So you're a ninja ... turtle? Wait! That's a TV show!"

"_Anyways_, Percy, you've been learning Latin since you were in sixth grade. You failed a basic exam."

"Don't nag, Annabeth. It's really unbecoming."

"Nico, if you don't leave in the next five seconds, I will show you just how unbecoming I can really get."

"That's what she said!"

"GET OUT TRAVIS!"

"MAKE ME!"

"Oh gods..."

"Well that was a rather terrifying face, Annabeth. I think I can still hear him screaming."

"I hate you all."

"Oh that's perfect. Way to go, Nico. Ruin her intellectual mood by showing up like some deranged hippie."

"Do you hear yourself when you talk? Or is it just a buzzing sound that you tune out?"

"Goodbye."

"No- wait Annabeth! Don't leave me with him!"

"Oh thanks you jerk. I can see that my company is not wanted."

"Don't just leave me here alone-! Oh, thanks. Thanks a lot, guys."

"...I really should stop talking to myself in empty rooms."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Well that wasn't a fail of a drabble at all... Maybe one day I will re-write it.<strong>

**POLL WINNER: Sally/ Poseidon romance (Ha! Lets see how well ****_that_**** goes...)**

**Next Chapter: Obsession**

**It's about a minor character in a highly ironic situation. Can you guess who it will be?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	71. Obsession

**Me: You failed the whole 'Let's get 350 reviews!' But you did review, so thank you guys. :)**

**Listened to a music video earlier when I was putting finishing touches on this for the first time, and I heard it mention 'Cult' in the very beginning before the band started mocking it... I was kind of offended since I had three out of four things it described...**

**Anyways.**

**Was re-reading TLT and saw the sentence "Behind me Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend 'Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids' ' "**

**A little inspiration, and tada. We have Obsession.**

**This is: Obsession.**

**Nancy, Annabeth**

**Summary preview: Don't you just hate it when your past comes back to haunt you?**

* * *

><p>I flipped the stray piece of hair out of my eyes as I prepared myself to walk into the interview room.<p>

The past two months had been horrible, as I had unfortunately had way too much student loan to pay off to be able to eat every day and actually have a house for that matter.

But I finally had gotten past stage one of the tour guide application, and now all I had to do was meet the owner, fill out one more application, and hopefully I could get this job.

Really hopefully considering I had spent the last of my money on a hotel last night so I could shower and do laundry for this meeting.

A tall-ish guy around twenty-three walked out of the owner's office (with some secretary chick watching him with a look that hinted at obsession), and for a moment my mind went into total _I know this guy_ mode.

But I didn't, not really. The guy had messy ink black hair, and bright vivid green eyes. He was tan to top it off, and it actually looked natural, not the orange-tinged tan of many of the New York-ers tried to pull off.

Still, my gaze lingered on him, until he rounded the corner and left the building. The secretary girl walked towards me and said, "Ms. Annabeth Chase will meet with you now." before heading back to a desk.

I took a deep breath, and slowly walked into the interview room, carefully scanning the room for anything breakable in case my klutz reputation made a come-back.

When I saw that it was safe to sit down, I quickly took a seat across from a girl with long-ish blond hair, gray eyes, and a form that could only have came if she was athletic. Strange that she would own a Greek history museum.

The woman- Annabeth- gave me a puzzled look as she glanced up from my first application forms.

"Do I know you?" she asked, a frown of concentration on her face.

I shook my head, certain. "No."

She frowned for a few more seconds before shaking her head. "Okay. Sorry, it's just that I could have sworn I've heard your name before..." she shook her head again before giving me a strained smile.

"I really only wanted to meet with you in person to make sure that you were who you say you are, and that I have a tour guide uniform that fits you. Just fill out this application while you're here, and if you have any question don't be afraid to ask me." Annabeth told me, set down an application form down in front of me, and was about to say something when her phone rang.

"Annabeth Chase speaking." she answered while I zoned out, quickly filling out the form.

It just so happened that while her voice raised as she said "Percy Jackson, you were just here you idiot. I swear if you are coming back-" I read the question in the necessary information to know, _Please explain why Kronos ate his children._

My mind linked the question with the name I hadn't heard in at least eleven years, and I remembered my sixth grade Latin teacher asking us how we could use the information of why Kronos' children ate in real life.

And then how I ended up in the fountain, soaking wet after an argument with Percy Jackson.

I put the image of a scrawny, pale, stubborn kid with weird hair and a freaky friend Grover, with the image of the guy that had recently left here.

I dropped my pen in shock and completely didn't notice the way Annabeth's face tightened when she glanced down at it.

Then I sighed and bent down to retrieve it when the down was flung open, the guy I assumed was Percy Jackson came in closely followed by another guy around the age of twenty with curly brown hair, picked up the pen, put the cap back on, and winked at Annabeth.

"And you thought I couldn't run and talk to you at the same time." he told her with a teasing tone to his voice, when the guy that came in with him spoke up.

"Nancy Bobofit?" he asked, and Percy's gaze shot over to me.

Annabeth was scowling. "Yes. She's trying to get a job, if you don't mind. Get out."

Percy completely ignored her, and his gaze turned questioningly.

"Seriously, Grover?"

Oh great. A freaking karma rub in of just how successful the losers of Yancy Academy turned out while I slept in my cars most nights.

God, I hate karma.

"Yes! Now get out before I forbid you from coming back." Annabeth cut in, her voice indication just how severely irritated she was.

Percy blinked, tucked the pen away behind his ear, for he had no pockets, and smiled softly at Annabeth.

"Got it. Come on, Grover." he hesitated at the door before adding, "It was nice to see you again, Nancy."

And then they were gone, Annabeth was rubbing her head, and I was staring at the still unanswered question _Please explain why Kronos' ate his children,_ with no writing utensil to answer it with.

Perfect.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Weird. I know. Thoughts?<strong>

**Next Chapter: Mischief Managed**

**Not written, but it won't take that long until it is finished. I have a solid idea. :)**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	72. Mischief Managed

**Me: Reviews were amazingly uplifting. :) And yes, ****_HectateA_**** the pen was Riptide.**

**This is: Mischief Managed**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Conner, Travis**

**Summary preview: Camp Half-Blood would never know what hit it...**

* * *

><p>Conner snickered evilly to himself as he watched Travis bribe the Apollo cabin for them to cast the rhyme curse on Katie.<p>

A quick glance around brought him visions of a disturbed Nico (he would never get over the llama prank they had pulled), an angry Annabeth (who's hand was conveniently glued and cuffed to a canoe loop thing), a purple Pollux (courtesy of Travis himself), and a bewildered Percy Jackson (it had been _way_ too much fun to convince the Aphrodite cabin that Annabeth could do nothing to them if they flirted with Percy).

Travis let out a whoop of glee, and ran back to his brother. Conner raised an eyebrow at Travis' rather large grin.

"I did it! I bribed Will Solace! They said it could never be done! Take that logic!"

Conner grinned. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"That we have successfully pranked the unprankables?"

"Besides that."

"... You don't mean."

"Oh, but I do."

"But they are our _idols._ Have we truly become worthy of the phrase?"

Connor nodded.

In perfect timing with the other, the Stoll brothers said, "Mischief Managed!"

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Team Conner-Has-A-Personality! Haha. :)<strong>

**Dear God that chapter was cheesy. Like, a mountain of cheese. Whatever.**

**NOTICE: Lately, I realized just how addicted I am to FF. It was actually alarming. REALLY alarming.**

**So, in turn, after this story I am taking at least a three month break. I ****_might_**** (please note that it is a might not a will) continue to read FF stories already on my favorite list, but I will not write for at least that amount of time.**

**So the whole Poseidon/ Sally romance thing is on indefinite hold.**

**THIS WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE BREAK. So no worries there. This is just to let you guys who were looking forward to the romance story know.**

**And, I might have longer breaks in between updates.**

**:/**

**Thoughts?**

**Next Chapter: I Can't**

**It's a cute friend/ romance chapter. :)**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	73. I Can't

**Me: Cheese seems to fail with you guys (unless you reviewed the last chapter, which showed that not all hate the cheese). Noted.**

**This is: I Can't**

**It's basically a pre- Percy/ Rachel romance, which is what I meant by 'cute friendship/ romance drabble'. **

**I don't own PJO.**

**AU and all human.**

**Rachel, Percy**

**Summary preview: Gods gift from above.**

* * *

><p>I can't remember the exact day that I decided that Percy Jackson was a person of interest.<p>

I just remember looking up one day, and thinking, _Does he look sad?_

Because that expression on his face was so _similar_ to sadness, but the class clown Percy Jackson could never be sad... right?

Apparently he could. I watched silently as his face went from somewhat composed to a quick crumple before he jogged off the track, yelling at the coach something about the bathroom.

My best friend Eliza stumbled into my back when I stopped running to watch.

"You okay?" she asked, glaring at me slightly, holding her nose.

"I.. yeah. I'll be right back, okay? I've got to go to the bathroom." I flashed her a grin.

"That time of the month, you know?" and then I jogged off, ignoring her mocking laughter.

"Where are you going, Dare?" Coach Willis yelled after me.

"Tampon!" I yelled back, and giggled at his suddenly red face.

I entered the gym quietly, looking for evidence of where Percy really was. I wasn't entirely sure of what I would say to him- after all I had spoke to the guy maybe five times in my entire life- but I was sure I could work out something.

I started walking slowly towards the door and heard someone take a deep breath under the bleachers.

I peeked under, and saw Percy sitting on the ground, his head in his hands, taking deep breaths.

"Are you... okay?" I asked and mentally cursed my stupidity. Yes, Rachel, he is sitting under the bleachers alone because he is bursting with happiness.

I am such an idiot.

Percy's head shot up, and he got this kind of scared look on his face, until he saw I wasn't a teacher or anything. Then he just looked annoyed.

"Do I look okay?" he snapped.

"Well, no. You look kind of terrible, actually." I replied, crouching down under the bleachers and moving towards him.

Percy rolled his eyes, then sighed. I watched his shoulders slump as a weary expression came over his face.

"Sorry. I just... nah. It doesn't matter." he apologized, shaking his head.

I sat down beside him. "You can tell me, you know."

He gave me a slightly disbelieving look. "I barely know you."

I raised an eyebrow. "The perfect reason to tell me. Why should it matter? It isn't like I have anyone to tell it to."

Percy snorted. "Ah, but Dare, I've seen you around school. You have plenty of friends. You're our drama club star after all."

"Let me rephrase that. I have no reason to tell anyone else. I like you well enough. I'm not about to go telling everyone that I saw Percy Jackson crying under the bleachers. And if you even hear a hint of it, you have full permission to blackmail me with something completely untrue."

"Why do you even care?"

I gave him a sad smile. "You looked like you could use someone to talk to."

"Last I checked you aren't a psychologist."

"You just killed my secret dream."

"Yet you still won't leave." Percy said in a deadpan voice, though traces of sadness leaked through.

"Nope." I answered popping the 'p'.

Percy sighed again, and seemed to curl up a little bit more, placing his head on his knees, and his arms around them.

"Well okay. My mom- you probably heard of her, her name is Sally Jackson-"

"Is she the one who wrote that series on Greek mythology?" I cut him off, a bit of my fangirl ties to the book getting the best of me.

"Yeah. The very same. Anyways, she- she- God, I'm such a wimp. She was admitted to the hospital yesterday, after she collapsed at a book signing. Something about the part of her brain that controls things subconsciously started to not work because of a tumor. It- the whole brain not working thing plus tumor- is seriously fatal, and not usually fixable. She's on life support right now, thanks to my dad's oh so generous funding, but the doctors can't keep her on it forever. She isn't breathing on her own or digesting things, and that leads to a lot of painful deaths." Percy explained, his voice getting softer and softer the closer he got to the end, until it was barely audible.

I was horrified.

"Oh my God. That... that is just... I'm so sorry, Percy."

"Yeah, I am too." he answered dryly, but his eyes were closed.

"I... wow. Come here." I said, and leaned over to give him a much-needed hug.

Percy stiffened instantly, but he didn't pull away. That in itself was telling.

We sat like that for a long time, Percy leaning against me. I think he actually fell asleep right before the bell rang.

Percy pulled away, and gave me a small smile. "That, my aspirating psychologist, is the bell."

"Way to be obvious, my new found client." I replied. Percy's smile turned a little more real.

"Thanks. For everything, you know? It means a lot."

"No problem Percy. You need to talk to someone, come find me. My lips are forever sealed." I answered, and crawled out from under the bleachers, with Percy at my heels.

"I just might take you up on that. See you around, Dare."

"Later, Jackson."

* * *

><p>"We have got to stop meeting like this." I said, leaning in the doorway, looking down at a hiding Percy.<p>

Percy glared up at me from his spot behind the cafeteria curtains and a wall. "Shhh. They might hear you."

"Who? Your imaginary friends?"

Percy snorted, then shook his head. "My fan club. They have this weird ability to be able to stalk me no matter where I go. Now, sit or leave before they see you talking to what is suppose to be nothing."

I gave a loud sigh just to bug him, but sat down beside him, closing the door behind me.

"Do we need to have an emergency psychology meeting, or are we just going to sit in this awkwardly small space in silence for the rest of lunch?" I asked after it became apparent that Percy wasn't going to say anything.

"Nah. Well, at least I hope I don't. Mom's... going into surgery today. Trying to get the tumor out and all that. If it works she should be able to come home soon. If not..." he trailed off then gave a bitter chuckle.

"If not I will probably be moving in with my absent father or living on my own. I hope for the latter, but will most likely get the former."

"I feel the need to hug you again. But I'm not going to, because my arms are already squished. Sorry."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "You are random. But that's okay. With you it's nice."

I smiled at that, and fully embraced the warm feeling Percy's compliment gave me.

Then heels walking towards us could be heard.

"Go, go, go!" I whispered, starting to shove Percy under the curtain so we wouldn't both be caught. Percy gave me a bewildered look before he was gone, I had just enough time to debate on going after him when a teacher opened the door to the left of me that had been squishing my arm.

"What are you-? Detention Ms. Dare!"

I sighed.

* * *

><p>I started hanging out with Percy more, mostly during lunch and snuck moments in P.E.<p>

I learned that his favorite color was blue, he love the beach more then almost anything, his dad was some rich tycoon that had never even sent a birthday card to acknowledge Percy, and that his mom was awesome.

I also learned that he had ADHD, pretty much ran the 'popular' crowd if you want to be stereotypical because of his natural funny streak and over all good-guy personality, and wanted to go to college in New Jersey. Princeton, actually.

In return, I told him about how I was fairly ignored by my father (I did mention that it was only because he was busy, but I could see the doubt in Percy's face), and how my mother had died two years ago from leukemia.

I explained him how I loved losing myself completely in a painting, disapproved of my father's company, and how if I was to choose a big college, I would like to go to Julliard.

It was a close, total-trust friendship, even if we didn't really tell other people about it.

But then again, we stole each other's freetime so much, we didn't exactly have time to explain where we were and just who we were with.

Most people wouldn't understand anyway.

* * *

><p>"What will I say? Do I need to be quiet? Are there certain rules I have to follow? Oh my God, what if I-"<p>

"Rachel. Breathe. It'll be okay. And no, just don't mess with anything that is hooked up to something. Try to exercise your social manners that I know are buried somewhere deep inside you." Percy grinned, and caught my arm that had been about to punch him.

Percy, in one of his rare thoughtful moods, had decided that I should meet his mom now that she was finally off life-support, and mostly just in the hospital because of the cancer.

At first I had been excited. Fangirl tendencies, and all.

Now I felt that if I breathed too loud, my writing idol would order for someone to chop my head off.

Which, of course, I know she wouldn't. From what I've heard about her, she is just as awesome as I always thought.

Still.

Percy watched as I calmed myself down, got us the visitor passes, and showed me the way to Sally Jackson's room.

She was reading a mythology book when we came in. But at our footsteps, she checked her page, and looked up at us.

Her eyes lit up as she smiled at Percy, before glancing at me.

"Hello Percy. You brought a guest, I see." she said, a light teasing tone to her voice.

Percy gave her his easy grin and looked back at me. "Mom, this is my friend Rachel."

Ms. Jackson raised an eyebrow. "The Rachel you've been talking about?"

I smirked as Percy blushed. "Ah, yeah. Rachel, this is my mom."

"Hello, Ms. Jackson. I should probably inform you that you are talking to one of your fangirls. I just _loved_ your book. Seriously. I think I've memorized parts of it."

Ms. Jackson laughed. "I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it so much. And please, call me Sally."

I nodded, and she gestured to the area closer to her.

"Come here, Percy, and tell me about what has happened since I last saw you." she told him.

I watched Percy walk over to his mom and take the seat beside her. I listened as they bantered over little things, how the topic of her illness never came up, and how Percy's face lit up when he talked about a new record he had set in the pool at his house.

He clearly loved his mom a lot, and if only for his sake, I hope she got better soon. It would kill him to go off to Princeton (if he got in) with her still like this.

Eventually Percy noticed what time it was, and Sally told him to go take me home and then go home himself.

"It was lovely meeting you, Rachel."

"You as well, Ms- Sally."

Then we were gone, but even then Percy's good mood didn't fade.

* * *

><p>I was putting my books away so I could finally go home, when someone covered my eyes with their hands.<p>

"Guess who!" a familiar voice asked with a childish sing-song voice.

"Eliza, I will hurt you if I can't see within the next few seconds." I answered in an equally sing-song tone.

"Way to be grumpy." she told me, but I could see again, so her brief irritation was worth it.

"So what's been up with you lately? I mean, we both know you end up missing for the weirdest of things, but I usually know the reason and where and it isn't for a solid two months at a time. But do you ever answer my texts anymore? Nooo."

"Are you ranting? Because you sound dangerously close to ranting." I countered. Eliza gave me an unamused look.

"Stop avoiding the question."

"Stop obsessing. I've just been busy with other things lately. No big deal."

Eliza smirked. "And was business with the ever so popular and sexy Percy Jackson?"

I raised an eyebrow at her instant success.

"Was it that obvious?"

Eliza shrugged. "He was missing from lunch yesterday. I heard one of his fangirls complaining that he's been missing from lunch a lot lately, just like a certain someone. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together."

"I know I should feel proud of you for finally stepping out of your self-inflicted shell of oblivious-ness to everything that doesn't concern you, you shallow girl, but I don't."

Eliza laughed. "You know it's just the role for the next play."

"A role you have been using for the past three months. I can't wait for the play to be over with. Maybe then you will finally understand that I just don't approve of your priorities." I informed her, but rolled my eyes to show that I wouldn't push the conversation into a fight.

"Priorities of the damned are never what we truly imagine them to be."

I instantly turned left, and saw an amused Percy standing beside me. I ignored Eliza's blush, and instead favored Percy with my clinical look. I was actually surprised to see him there. We usually tried to catch us with our other friends during the school day.

"Did you just call Eliza something with a ruined soul?"

"No. I was just throwing in my opinion on your already soulless topic."

"Psh. 'Your opinion'. As if. You likely read it from somewhere, or heard it from that girl you always pair up with in science. Annabell or something."

Percy laughed. "Annabeth. And don't go acting jealous, my uncertified psychologist. She isn't out to steal your job. Annabeth just has decent humor, and an epic way of teaching me things so that I can actually somewhat understand what the heck I'm doing. Unless she feels like insulting me." Percy explained.

"Uncertified psychologist?" Eliza asked, grabbing my arm before I could successfully put enough distance between us so that I could walk off un-awkwardly with Percy, and therefore, avoid her questions.

"Yep."

"Rachel... you go to a psychologist."

Percy snorted. I glared.

"You know that I haven't since I was six."

"Why on earth would a six year old need a psychologist?" Percy asked, that stupidly amused expression still on his face. Eliza smirked.

"Her hamster died."

Percy bust out laughing.

"Oh, shut up. Both of you. It was a very tragic period in my life." I grumbled, but was biting back a smile.

Percy just laughed harder. After a few moment, I smacked his chest, and pulled Eliza with me as I started walking towards my car.

"W-wait! I still need to ask you something!" Percy yelled, before jogging to catch back us with us.

"Ooh. I knew it! You're going to ask her out, aren't you? You guys would be such a _CUTE_ couple!" Eliza exclaimed, with a malicious glint in her eyes.

So this is my punishment for not telling her about Percy sooner. Utter humiliation by public hearing, and an awkward Percy. Great.

Percy just blinked a few times, as if the idea hadn't even entered his mind (and didn't that just send a stab of irritation and humiliation through me), before he shook his head.

"Nah. It's not like that. And God, won't this sound like I'm asking you out after that question, but rest assured Rachel, I'm not. I'm taking you up on your offer of psychology. I'll meet you at the same place, same time." he told me, smiled kind of sadly, and then walked off.

Offer of psychology and same place... ? Oh!

Of course. Under the bleachers during gym. Right.

I ignored Eliza yelling at me while I ran towards my car. If she was going to be a vengeful cow then she could just deal with my silence for awhile. I had more important things deal with.

* * *

><p>"Yes Dad, I'll be home in a few minutes... I'm almost done getting dinner items you conveniently forgot to tell the maid to get... Yes Father, I know about your paranoid considering your M&amp;M addiction and that you don't trust anyone else to know you eat so many. That's why I never complain about you always sending me out here when we have plenty of maids that could do this job just as well as I could... Yeah, well you can deal. I got them so be happy. I've got to go... Bye." I sighed, closed the phone, and started unloading the groceries into the trunk of my car.<p>

"Dare?"

I didn't even bother turning around this time. "Are you stalking me, Jackson? Because I have seen you a creepily about of times today. It's starting to get repetitive."

It was quiet for awhile, so I finally turned around to see what was wrong.

Percy just looked kind of torn. "I- sorry. I'll see you around at school, okay?" he said, turning to go inside the store. And that's when I saw that his eyes were bloodshot again.

Well hell.

"Wait! I'm sorry, that was a jerkish response. Come here, for a second." I said, watching to see if he stumbled over anything.

Percy didn't. Well drunk was out for the moment.

"You okay? Your eyes are all... blood-shade. You look like crap, as a matter of fact. What happened?"

A tug of his lips, but not yet a smile. "Just got back from the hospital."

Oh God. No, no, no. _Don't let this be happening._

"And?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"Random accident in the lab. The cells reacted wrong and attacked. She died before the medication wore off." he told me, a bitter, lost edge to his voice that I had never heard. "The funeral is going to be soon. I'll be sure to give you an invitation. She would want you there, I think. She liked you a lot, at least."

"Oh my God. Come here." I replied, and tugged him into a hug. Percy stiffened at first, but unlike the first time this almost deja vu scene happened, he returned the hug with a crushing hold.

I could hear his jagged breathing, and simply because I didn't want to be the starter of some sob fest outside our local grocery store, I held back my tears as I rubbed his back.

"Come on. We are going to talk about this, you know." I informed him when his breathing had gotten better, dragging him towards the passenger side of my car.

"My car-"

"Will be picked up tomorrow. I'll do it myself. Now get in."

"Where are we going?"

"I would say Madison Square Garden, but frankly that place creeps me out at night. We're going to my place. Ignore my father. He's only out for the M&Ms."

* * *

><p>"Rachel-"<p>

"M&Ms are in the back." I answered, and in moments he was gone. I pulled Percy out of his hiding spot and silently snuck him up to my floor, where I sat him near the painting section.

He looked exhausted. I didn't really know how to bring the topic back up, so instead I grabbed my art scrapbook and a few loose drawings.

I set them in front of us, and handed one to a depressed-looking Percy.

His eyes widened. "You drew this?" he asked his voice hoarse.

"Drew, painted, sketched, captured the picture, whatever. If you see artwork in this house, I did it."

"Wow." he said, and slid the book towards him. I watched as he flipped through the images, and knew that honestly, he wouldn't be this interested if it didn't take his mind off his mother's death.

But it did, and that helped him for right now.

He stopped at one for a long time, then shook his head.

"Is this suppose to be Poseidon?" he asked, showing me one of my more recent pictures. I had painted it after reading a Greek mythology book Sally recommended to me that day in the hospital.

I frowned. "Yeah. What do you mean 'suppose to'?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "We look scarily alike. In fact, he looks almost exactly like my father."

I looked back down at the painting and then back up at Percy before realizing he was right. They had the same hair, skin, and body type. I had even matched their eyes.

The only thing that was really different was the age.

"Oh. I hadn't even notice. No need to freak out, I'm still not part of your fan club."

A soft smile crossed his lips, before it crumpled and he closed his eyes.

Damn it.

"Oh God, I'm an insensitive jerk, and a crappy psychologist. Not to mention a horrible friend."

Percy kind of laughed, kind of sobbed, and I patted his back again.

"You know, I'm usually not this much of a wreck." he told me, through jagged breaths, and a few tears.

"Yeah. I know."

And that was all we said.

* * *

><p>I woke up on the floor, my head against Percy's chest.<p>

How the flip did I end up like this again... ?

I looked down at the a fore mentioned guy, and the salty patches where his tears had hit his shirt before I remembered.

Cancer death of Sally. Right.

His eyes opened up with a hint of confusion, then crushing remembrance.

"Hey." I whispered. Percy sat up and gave me a nod of acknowledgment.

"Hey. Uh, thanks. For you know letting me stay... I'm trying to think of a way of saying this without coming off as a complete perv."

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a guy. But seriously, no problem."

Percy gave me a almost smile. A few seconds later it disappeared with that depressed expression taking it's place. "I guess I have some relatives to call..."

"Yeah..." I trailed off, trying to think of something to say to break the silence that had descended.

"Can you... can you come with me? As moral support, you know?" he was hesitant and self-doubting. His blush proved it.

My eyes lit up. "Yeah. I would love to."

Percy stood up and held out his hand.

Without hesitation, I reached up, grabbed his hand, and laced my fingers through his.

I would help him through this, if for no other reason then to see that smile of his cross his face more often the it would otherwise.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Remember when I said this would be cute? It seemed that the cuteness failed.<strong>

**Sorry about that.**

**This chapter is surprisingly long. Weird considering I wrote the majority of it in one sitting. (like 3,000 words).**

**Next Chapter: Are You Challenging Me?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	74. Are You Challenging Me?

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys! :D**

**This is: Are You Challenging Me?**

**Mostly a hinted Preyna, kind of a hinted Jeyna, and barely a hint of Jasper (even though it is the only real solid pairing).**

**Reyna, Jason, Percy**

**Summary preview: If the world turned on its head...**

* * *

><p>Ever since I came to Camp Jupiter, it was implied that I would one day end up with Percy Jackson.<p>

People said they first knew it when he choose to represent me after I got there, even though he had just started re-building Neptune's reputation.

I quickly found out that the son of Neptune was far too stubborn and surprisingly kind. He did his best to make sure I felt welcome to the camp, and somewhat succeeded.

I learned that he had been taken from the apartment he once lived in, at the age of two because it burned down. He learned that I was part of Circe's island until that idiot son of Hermes decided we were an obstacle in the war and set free Blackbeard and his pirates.

So even before he saved my life multiple times in the war against the Titans, we had been close. We spent all our free time together. Rumors flew for years behind closed doors about us. But when he finally took Krios down by himself people started to respect him more.

Sure, a few thought he was insane for turning down immortality when Neptune himself came to Camp Jupiter and offered it, but they were in the minority.

* * *

><p>I became Praetor the same day as he did, and I can still remember Percy's shocked expression after the voting was cast.<p>

After all, despite what he has done for camp, Percy is a son of Neptune. And children of Neptune had never stuck to the Roman ways very well.

Either way, the result of us both being Praetor seemed to confirm the theory we would end up together.

And maybe we would have, had he not disappeared in four months later.

I was terrified. Rumors be damned, Percy was my best friend, and I was _going_ to find him.

But search groups came back empty, Lupa was strangely silent, and Octavian simply radiated gleefulness at the mention of Percy's absence. Of course he wasn't going to try to find him.

I searched anyways.

* * *

><p>Eight months later, we finally heard word from the gods.<p>

This new demigod, this son of Jupiter in an orange shirt and beaded necklace named Jason Grace, was suppose to help us bring back the Fifth Legion's honor.

He could not have looked less like Percy if he tried. Blonde hair, a clearly muscled and shorter guy.

But this newcomer was already far more Roman then my best friend could ever hope to be.

From what I could tell from Jason during his first few minutes at Camp Jupiter, he was logical. Collected. Disciplined. And despite his glaringly missing memory, confident in everything he said.

True, his fighting style was completely different then anything I had ever tried, but his personality... His personality would make him a fantastic Roman leader.

Still, _he was not __**Percy**_**.** He was not the demigod I wanted to spend my time with, he was not the best friend who I could talk to at the end of the day and fully understand what I talking about, and he was not the man who could make me smile by a simple action of defiance to his very nature.

And then Mars showed up after Jason successfully won the war game, and flat out insulted him.

Mars seemed to almost smile and his expression seemed to ask _Are you challenging me?_

The hidden cruelty behind it made my heart skip a beat.

Then the prophecy that was worse then even random parts of the burned scrolls put together, where Jason had to leave on a quest with Frank and the Hazel girl that was rumored to have left the Underworld after dying back in the 1900s with her half-brother Nico's help.

I felt strangely saddened to hear about Jason's possible girlfriend when I told him what would happen if he came back successful. And strangely empty again as I watched them leave.

I shook my head and turned to Nico next, immediately starting to quiz him on everything and anything he had gotten on Percy's whereabouts.

Nico, who was oddly enough Percy's only other close friend at Camp Jupiter (I put it down to the whole mega-powerful father-gods), was obviously holding something back from me.

I remembered the way he avoided Jason, the nervous energy he got when they were forced to be around each other, the secrets his eyes seemed to be filled with upon hearing Percy's name, and held back the urge to slap the son of Pluto.

"Nico," I hissed and felt slight satisfaction at the flinch he gave me, "You know something. I _know_ you know something. Why in Jupiter's freaking name won't you _tell_ me?"

The little brat just gave me a nervous smile and said "Bigger picture, Reyna. Chill out though. I can let you this much: Percy's alive." and then shadow traveled away.

I was left to stew on that for the next week, waiting for Frank's quest to either fail or succeed.

* * *

><p>We were unprepared when the giant attacked. The giant was obviously looking for Percy, as he was the one that was suppose to oppose Neptune, and for once in the last eight months, I was glad Percy was gone.<p>

Then Jason was there, with Imperial Gold supplies, a Cyclops best friend, and riding a hellhound. It was strange to say in the least.

I was impressed watching him fight, and thrilled to see my sister fighting on our side below me.

And that was before he took down the giant with only Terminus helping.

It was no surprise when he was elected Praetor, though I felt a since of loss go through me when I assigned him Percy's old room.

I tried to ignore the relife that hit me when I found out he slept in his Legion's cabin anyway.

* * *

><p>Jason was standing on the floor of the house and trying to persuades the Senate to trust the ship of Greeks coming closer to us, all the while.<p>

I allowed for him to try, because somehow, sometime, between the war game and watching him obliterate the giant's army I had grown to respect and place hesitate trust in him.

I may never understand him, despite my wavering trust.

His pure, flat out _Greekness_ surprises me over the littlest of things. We have a certain understood flow of how things are done of Camp Jupiter. Not even our wildest Roman, Percy, could have gotten away with breaking so many of our rules and not having it blow up in his face.

Jason's discipline helps him keep some sort of boundaries, but his discipline is obviously suited to his Greek heritage.

And wasn't that a shock. Jason _is_ Greek, Nico is missing, and Percy Jackson is suppose to be on the ship.

Jason... has a sort of _flair_ that comes from his unbreakable confidence. He is... different. From everyone I have ever met.

He has no respect for tradition. On the battlefield, I am certain he would break ranks. His whole nature presents perfectly why the Greeks were outcast from Rome's society.

Yet, here is Jason, and he has returned victorious from a quest that no Roman has. When I listened to the full story from Frank and Hazel, I was shocked. I learned that Jason goes for stakes no one should ever try to achieve, and he does without even considering losing.

Somehow, he never has.

I don't know if he is one of the bravest people that I could openly admire or one of the stupidest that I scorn constantly.

Romans are given the responsibility to handle duty. Praetors carry this responsibility the most.

We have to be able to lose everything so that Rome can not only survive, but _win._ Judging Jason, I believe that he could never do this. He loves his friends far too much for him to ever put anything, even entire civilization above them.

He reminds me of Percy in that sense, although I know that if it came down to it, Percy understands that Rome is more important then friends. He would save Rome and sacrifice everything. It is in his very nature to keep Rome alive. Jason... would not. Perhaps even could not, without losing a vital part of himself.

We can never make him into something he is not. Even after all of his new training, Jason is a Greek in his nature. And history itself shows that Greeks lose. It might not be today, tomorrow, even in the next decade, but eventually they will _fall._

Somehow, Jason is still convincing the Senate that we can trust the Greeks. He is convinced that if we ally ourselves together we can defeat Gaea and the giants.

But Jason isn't putting history into his assurances. Greek and Romans never work well together. They even hinder each other when they attempt to.

Still, I watched him and resigned myself to trust him. There is no other choice, as even I can admit that Jason is the best guy for the Praetor job.

As the new praetor, everyone compares him to Percy, comments on how alike they are. Yet, to me, they are completely different. Jason is reliable and predictable. Percy is reliable, but he could never truly be predictable.

Earlier I said, Jason is more Roman then Percy could ever hope to be. Perhaps I misspoke.

Jason's Roman traits are more noticeable then Percy's, true. But Jason's Roman traits are not suited to Roman needs. I know he would turn on us in a heartbeat if the Greeks did. His is reliable only to his own, and being predictable is not always a good thing. The brief mentions of a girl named Piper is enough to convince me of this.

Percy _is_ loyal to Rome, and he _does_ have enough discipline not to test the boundaries of what Lupa sets... most of the time. Percy is our camp's legend, our lucky son of Neptune. He is our leader.

Or, at least, he was.

* * *

><p>When I cornered Jason after the meeting, it was mostly to reassure myself then to get a confirmation out of him.<p>

"You say that Percy Jackson will be on that ship."

A confident nod.

"Good. I... have missed him." I added, almost as an afterthought.

A small smile flickered over his face, with a hint of sympathy.

And that stupid smile made me realize something that only denial could have kept from me this long.

I have been judging Jason based on his Greekness, but he's the one at the Roman camp.

Percy had always had Greek tendencies, but living at a Greek camp for eight months with no memories?

Is he even the same person I remember?

Does he even remember me?

I walked away to meet up with the legion, and maybe, _just maybe,_ finally get some answers.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: It wasn't that it was difficult to write this, so much as I was hesitate to post it.<strong>

**I feel as though I left enough things cannon for it to be highly familiar if you have read the Son of Neptune, yet through Reyna's POV while she looks for her best friend and/or possible boyfriend. **

**And then there is the writing style. I wrote the beginning half way back in the thirties, and then wrote the last half around chapter 70-ish. I tried to make sure it flowed right, but I don't think I achieved it.**

**Your opinions would be amazing.**

**Happy Easter to those who are celebrating! **

**Next Chapter: Mirror**

**It's our 75th CHAPTER! YEAH! :D**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	75. Mirror

**Me: THE LAST 25 CHAPTERS!**

**I feel a sense of accomplishment getting this far, considering (as I have said before) I didn't plan on getting past chapter 9 when I started.**

**I am also torn between being highly amused or somewhat alarmed. I found this old 3rd grade paper where we had to write a mini story, and mine was like something out of a child's horror story. Like, two people died within the one page and a half story.**

**It seems I have always been writing in horror/ angst... Though I'm surprised my teacher didn't send me in for counseling. I probably needed it. Oh well.**

**Slightly AU. Ish. I don't own PJO.**

**This is: Mirror**

**Percy**

**Summary preview: It's just a mirror image.**

* * *

><p>When the goddess with a crown said that demigods had suckish dreams, I had been expecting battlefields and monster attacks.<p>

But so far it had only been random flashes of darkness and a black river.

Which is why when I suddenly found myself in a fun house full of mirrors, I was a bit wary, but still kind of relieved.

Yes, the circle of mirrors surrounding me was kind of creepy in that 'what-if-there-is-a-creeper-watching-me-from-above' kind of way, but whatever. I've had visions of things way worse.

I stood up, and walked over to a twisty mirror, and ran a hand through my hair, wincing at the tangled snarls it went through. My reflection did the same, although the image rippled like water. I saw myself smile and then start doing the whole 'is-this-a-reflection-or-a-identical-person-thing'.

Yet I was standing still.

The mirror image winked at me, then burst into laughter and disappeared into the frame on the right.

The frame suddenly came to life with a council of demigods, monsters, and giants, all yelling things at each other.

In the background a woman in dark brown with half closed eyes was watching the exchanges with a sinister smile.

She was petting my head the entire time.

A sudden crash brought my attention over to the next frame to the right, and I saw the Poseidon cabin at Camp Half- Blood burst into flames, a Greek signature on the ground in front of it.

My signature.

The next was an image of Olympus falling, the connection to Earth dissolving.

On, and on it went, mirrors filled with images of me fighting my friends, mocking my father, leading the revolt against the gods, laughing that insane laugh I hadn't heard since the battle of Manhattan, until I was back to the original mirror, horror-struck.

A sleepy, cruel laugh floated through my mind.

_Wake up, my little son of Poseidon. We have a game to play._

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Huh. Didn't really plan it to get all dark, but it works.<strong>

**But anyways, thoughts?**

**Last 25 chapters, people! ANNA= PROUD!**

**I'm such a nerd sometimes... :P**

**Next Chapter: Broken Pieces**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	76. Broken Pieces

**Me: Has anyone else noticed that my important chapter marks are all angst-y? 100 shall not be, no worries. Still.**

**Thanks for the reviews! :D**

**This is: Broken Pieces**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Percy**

**Summary preview: To remember a hero...**

* * *

><p><em>Annabeth Chase<em>

Girl wonder, savior of Olympus, daughter of Athena, best friend of **Thalia Grace.**

Favored of _Chiron__,_ Camp Half-Blood's _other_ leader.

Former girlfriend of **_Perseus Jackson._**

.

Grover Underwood

Lord of the Wild, savior of all the 'Greek' Big Three, nephew of _Ferdinand_.

Favored of Dionysus, empathic-linked to **Perseus Jackson**.

At one time, at least. More of an empathic-coma victim now.

.

**Thalia Grace**

_Artemis_ Lieutenant, Olympus' immortal back-up, daughter of Zeus.

Leader of the Hunters, ex-best friend of **Luke Castilin.**

Mourning family member and friend.

.

_Nico di Angleo_

King of Ghost, convincer of Hades, son of **Maria di Angleo**.

Death Breath, brother to _Bianca di Angleo_

Reporter of Perseus' death.

.

Poseidon

Lord of the seas, god of horses, son of **Kronos.**

Creator of earthquakes, brother of _Zeus_ and Hades.

Lost father.

.

**Sally Jackson**

Writer, the 'cool' mom, orphan.

Mother of **Perseus Jackson**, wife of_ Paul Blofis_.

Native to think that naming her son after the one hero who didn't die horribly meant that her son wouldn't either.

.

And now they are left with only

**b**

**r**

**o**

**k**

**e**

**n**

Pieces

Of memories

that will fade far too fast,

to remember just _what_ he meant to them.

.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I like it. I also dislike it, but not enough to rewrite it into something else.<strong>

**TO ALL READERS who are irritated with my angst streak: Next chapter has a sarcastic funny Percy and Thalia!**

**Next Chapter: Test**

**CHALLANGE: I am issuing a challenge to get 500 reviews by chapter 100. Are you guys awesome enough to reach that?**

**;)**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	77. Test

**Me: Oh my God. I love you guys. A lot. Thank you so freaking much for all the reviews! :D**

**Only 105 left to go! O.o (it was like, 125)**

**To ****_UNKNOWN/ Unknown: _****Reviews are always welcome. And yeah, you now have a page total to yourself, but hey- that's an epic achievement. :) Thank you!**

**This is: Test**

**Continuation of the ****_Tower_**** and ****_Traps_**** story! (Has anyone else notice I only use T chatpers? ;)**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Thalia, Percy**

**Summary preview: Foolishness previously untested.**

* * *

><p><em>Four months later... (six months since the end of<em> Tower)

I am usually a kind person.

Okay, scratch that. I usually am a person who can mold to my situation. Like, hiding in a hidden tower with a locked up prince for instance. Or having a heart-to-heart with said prince, in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm for another.

But being spotted in the middle of a heist, being only inches away from my target so that said prince could interrogate me?

That was going to far.

"What the _Hades_ are you _flupping_ doing here?" I hissed, glaring at the devilish son of Poseidon and Queen Sally.

Percy Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Flupping? What the hell is a flupping? Better yet, who says 'flupping' with a straight face?" as if to prove his point, Percy's face broke out into a huge grin as he used air quotes.

"You're sidestepping the question. Last I heard, you were still locked up somewhere."

"Ha. 'Locked up somewhere'. Careful, daughter of Zeus. Out of context that could very well mean that I was locked up in a mental facility. Which, of course, there is nothing wrong with that. I'm sure there are worse places. Still, what does it say for you that you are dancing with a person that needs to be locked up for the public safety? Ruins your shaky reputation, doesn't it?" Percy countered with a wink.

"You're a bastard." I sighed, and resigned myself to yet another long game of word dancing with Percy.

"Correct, though that could count as cheating, since I already told you my parent's weren't actually married."

"What do you want?" I asked bluntly, my gaze flickering back towards the entire reason I even bothered to risk coming out of hiding.

"Ah, ah ah. That is definitely cheating."

"When the hell did we establish rules to our random word games? And why do you always pop into my life after months of me not even hearing about you? And what is with your sudden fascination with word games?" I demanded, stopping in the middle of the dance, ignoring the questioning looks I was getting.

A narrowing of the eyes was all I got before Percy winked again and passed me off to someone beside him.

The guy now in front of me seemed to shimmer and had short, sandy blonde hair.

"Lovely to meet you, Miss Thalia Grace. My name is Hermes. Perhaps Percy told you about me? You have my vote." the god Hermes inquired, laughed, and spun me to a different dance partner.

"What the hell..." I muttered under my breath, and looked up at the guy I was now dancing with.

Percy again.

"Did I seriously just meet Hermes?" I questioned. Percy frowned.

"Is that who he told you he was? No. You just met the son of Aphrodite. Justin or something."

A twitch of the face and Percy's form shimmered to a guy with the actual blonde hair.

"Ha, no. That was Hermes. I think. Hades, it could have been Zeus himself for all I know. I lost the other gods to the crowd awhile ago. And for some reason, all of them are feeling a bit sadistic today. All of them have MPD right now, and half of them will curse you if you give them the wrong answer. Blame Percy. The idiot injured their egos earlier. Sorry that it happened to be on your evaluation night." the- god?- apologized with a fond note in his voice while insulting Percy.

"Umm... ? Okay? What the heck is even going on?"

"You may have heard of Hera. Overprotective and dangerous. Stepmother of myself, Artemis and quite a lot of the Olympians for that matter. Heard about how you hang out with Percy sometimes and are a child of Zeus. Called for an evaluation of your character so she could decided whether or not to kill you. Don't make that face. I'm serious. Hera's weird like that.

"Percy freaked out, as even he knows that you have to be better then perfect if you want Hera to like you, and as a daughter of Zeus you already have a huge strike against you. Anyways-"

"Wait." I interrupted. The blonde god raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "If you have to be better then perfect, how did Percy get on Hera's good side?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea. One day she hates his guts, the next she's like a mother hen, worrying over whether or not we should move him to a 'more comfortable tower' or something. There are theories that he attacked her mother instinct, or that he just flat out told her off, and made her listen. I don't know, and I am fine with not knowing."

"It's so like him to do something like that."

He laughed. "It really is. Anyways, back to the whole Hera-wants-to-kill-you-and-Percy-veto's-the-idea. He- Percy- came up with the idea of us visiting you in person to judge you then. Hera is, as you probably know, the hostess of this little party. Don't steal the diamonds. Jason gave them to her after he died. Bribed Hades, if I recall. Yes, I saw you earlier. We all did. Strike two, Miss Thalia Grace. Try and find the real Percy, when this is all over. Good luck. You have my vote."

And then the music stopped for a moment and he was gone.

I blinked, narrowed my eyes, and scanned the room for Percy. From what I could see, he wasn't even here.

And dammit. I never got the gods name. Ugh.

I turned on my heel and stalked off to a wall. I leaned against it, and took a deep breath.

"Are you meditating?"

My eyes snapped open and I saw a little girl of about seven years old with auburn look up at me, questioning. I smiled down at her, then shook my head.

"Head ache. Guys are jerks, you know? Never get involved with them. Not in friendship, or in romance, or in freaking dancing. They're all idiots." I told her, ignoring how pathetic it was of me to lecture a seven year old about guys.

The seven year old grinned. "Well done, Miss Thalia Grace. If you ever are looking for a chance to fight in my Huntress army, come find me. You have my vote."

Then she was gone as well, leaving me utterly confused.

"Did I just hear that you gained the approval of Artemis though your shared hate of men? How sad. You could have had such a cute relationship with Percy too. Oh well. Too late now. You have my veto, Miss Thalia." a woman's voice said to my left, but by the time I turned around she was gone.

"WHAT THE FREAKING HADES? DO YOU GUYS JUST DISSOLVE OR SOMETHING? AND DID YOU SERIOUSLY JUST VETO ME BECAUSE A SEVEN YEAR OLD TOLD ME THAT I HAD HER VOTE?" I yelled. The music abruptly stopped, and the guest were openly staring at me.

A low chuckle could be heard from across the room.

"Oh, screw you all. YO, MUSICIANS! PLAY THE _FLUPPING_ MUSIC!" I yelled at the band people, and slowly they started to play the waltz.

I hate the waltz.

"We've been over you're odd use of the non-word 'flupping'. It really is an odd combination of letters."

"Screw you too." I snapped, smacking my hand against what I hoped was the actual Percy's chest.

"You would like too."

Yes, this was the real Percy.

"Nice meltdown earlier. Don't take Aphrodite's veto to heart. She has this weird possessive streak when it comes to mortals she likes. Myself especially." Percy told me.

"You really need to stop hanging out with the gods. They all seem psychotic. It could be rubbing off on you."

Percy opened his mouth to say something when yet another Percy walked over to us.

"Dad? Why do you-? Never mind. Evaluation. Right." the second (and real?) Percy said, sighed, and then gave me a weary smile.

The -fake?- Percy beside me shrugged. "It was informative." was all he said. Then his form shimmered and Percy seemed to age before my eyes, before he stopped around 35.

"You have my vote, Miss Thalia. Perhaps you can keep my son from doing reckless things like being around 'psychotic' gods."

And then he was gone too.

"I seriously thought that was you that time. I mean, he even had your responses down. I- gods, I hate you right now. It would have been so much easier to just let them kill me. At the very least, I wouldn't have a pounding headache."

Percy slung his arm around my shoulders. "If it makes you feel better, that's all the gods you have to meet. Hera was going to veto against you anyways, Dionysus hates everyone, Ares is just going neutral, Hephaestus doesn't care- I don't really think he likes me all that much- Zeus is in favor just because you're his daughter, you met Athena weeks ago; that old woman you helped with gathering her things? That was her. She likes you well enough. Demeter is visiting her daughter, and Hades doesn't get a vote because the gods are stupid like that sometimes."

I rolled my eyes. "They aren't participating in this stupid test? Thank gods. No. You know what? I think I might revert to a different religion."

"A demigod believing in a different kind of god? Oxymoron. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." I said in a deadpan voice and Percy laughed.

"Just be happy I talked them into letting you live. Six votes, four neturals, and two vetos. You get to live. You're love life might be absolute crap from now on, but Artemis is always looking for new members. Just don't forget to visit me." Percy joked, linking his arm through mine.

"Way to make this about you, you lost prince."

An eye twitch and a sudden forced smile. "I've _told_ you, royalty never gets lost. The world just changes it's path into unknown patterns."

"You must have had a horrible childhood, if that is the kind of upbringing you had."

Percy snorted, before breaking out into laughter. "Thalia, you are seriously awesome."

"I know. Now come on. People have finally stopped staring at me, and I want to dance."

"You're wish is my generous way of thanking you through actions. You better know how to waltz, Pinecone Face."

"Stuff it, you kelp brain idiot."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I know I could have done so much better. I really really really think I failed at their sarcastic relationship (compared to what I've done before) but maybe that's just because Percy (the real one) is barely in the chapter.<strong>

**My sarcastic vibe I used when working with them is dead right now so this is the best I've got. :/**

**Next chapter: Drink**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	78. Drink

**Me: FAIL OF A DANCE TIME YET AGAIN! :D :D :D 400+ REVIEWS! I love you guys. ^_^**

**To ****_HecateA_****: I owe you for giving me this idea. Big time. :D**

**This is: Drink**

**NOTICE: The following chapter was written during a fit of insomnia, at 3:50-ish through 4:15-ish A.M. Read at your own risk.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Dionysus, Gabe, Dakota**

**Summary preview: To drink life's troubles away.**

* * *

><p>Dionysus looked at the wine before him, and wondered briefly if he should just destroy it. No more wine, no more alcohol that constantly killed people, no more AAs.<p>

The noble thing to do would be to get rid of it. Sure, people would have to find a new fancy drink to have during celebrations, but the world would be a better place.

Instead he grabbed the wine glass and drained it, savoring the taste that he represented.

The guilt of ignoring the pleas of his dying children was something he was grateful to get rid of, if only for a moment.

* * *

><p>1 drink with friends.<p>

One can.

Two cans.

Five cans.

Twelve pack.

"You... you got any money, you ungrateful brat?" Gabe demanded snatching the boy's arm as he passed by, not even noticing the slur his words had taken on, having hearing it so much in the past years.

His stepson looked up at him with a look that even intoxication couldn't hide: disgust.

"No. I haven't gotten paid this week. Now get the heck off of me." before yanking his arm back and stalking to his room.

Gabe grounded him, of course. He had to make sure the brat knew he couldn't just get away with saying things like that to him without consequences.

Still... it _was_ disgusting to have to rely on something as much as he relied on beer.

But just because he was ashamed of it didn't mean he was suddenly going to stop drinking to make peace with his already battered and torn up conscience.

* * *

><p>Dakota looked down at his Kool-Aid flask, and tried to ignore the burning in his throat that demanded he stop substituting wine for Kool-Aid.<p>

Ever since his friends had thought it would be fun to spike his drink when he was twelve, he had the problem of resisting alcohol.

He found that Kool-Aid helped more then anything, but even so...

Dakota knew he would always long for that drink of wine that his oh so generous dad decided to represent.

It was simply a gift from the Fates delivered through his father.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Decent idea. Decent characters. : on how I wrote them.**

**This is what happens people, when you can't sleep and decide to write FF instead. Learn from my mistakes.**

**Next Chapter: Starvation**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	79. Starvation

**Me: The reviews were great as always guys.**

**To ****_Musicismyblood_****: Challenge accepted. **

**I seem to have a weird talent with turning morbid chapter titles into something non-depressing and vise versa with happy titles... (unless you count Dying. Which I consider a masterpiece after see the seriously strong emotions I keep hearing that it caused)**

**This is: Starvation**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Drew, Percy**

**Summary preview: Before the spin-off...**

* * *

><p>Traveling half-way across the country (mostly by myself) was something I was highly uncomfortable doing.<p>

I mean honestly. Monster attacks, lack of food, and horrible money-planning was not helping matters any. And then the stupid goat had die and leave me by myself with only directions to 'find the strawberry patch in Long Island'. I mean, WTF goat-man.

And now I am suffering from starvation, dehydration, and overall irritation in the middle of freaking Manhattan, broke, lost, and maybe a little scared.

So what if I come from Arizona? That doesn't mean I haven't heard about the huge crime rate in the Big Apple, nor does it mean that I am used to the unusually cool summer.

I suppose that if I really wanted to, I could always just '_ask'_ someone to help me find it, but using that particular gift was always a draining experience, and usually not worth it.

I sat down off to the side of a condemned-looking (looking at the sever water stains, I would image it was done by a hurricane) apartment building in utter despair when a guy sat down beside me, holding a sword.

One of those 'demigod' guys the goat-man was talking about? Time to find out.

"Are you a demigod?" I asked fairly bluntly. The guy didn't even blink, but kind of half-smiled as he looked over at me.

"You know, asking a random guy off the street that in this part of the neighborhood is a good way to get yourself killed."

He flicked his black hair out of his almost-but-not-quite intense sea green eyes, amusing making them dance.

"Says the guy holding a sword, sitting in front of an ugly apartment building like a creeper, alone." I countered.

"You make a decent point." he conceded before adding, "Although you have to be pretty stupid to start a conversation with said creeper-sword welding-guy."

I huffed. "First, you sat by me. Second, you're avoiding the subject. Are you a demigod or not?"

The guy shrugged and suddenly I realized that he was fairly hot. And I was pretty good at flirting my way into knowledge. Time to use the gift.

"You kn-"

"Don't go all charm-speaker on me. Figures that I would find a daughter of Aphrodite here."

"So you _are_ a demigod!" I said and grinned victoriously. "Good to know, cutie."

"So I am. And thanks. My girlfriend thinks so too."

Well at least it was a kind way to reject me and hint to back off. But now I had someone who knew what the heck was going on with my life, and who knew? Maybe it would be fun to see just how far he would go before getting annoyed with my flirting.

"Interesting. So what is a guy like you - who from what the go- satyr- told me is suppose to be at a camp at this time of year- doing all the way out here in front of this building?"

The guy- I seriously needed to learn his name- raised an eyebrow. "Am I not allowed to? This is America, you know. Free nation and all that. But if you must know, I was visiting some memories of my past. This place just helps me remember who I am sometimes."

"And that was a fairly deep answer."

A snort. "It was. No worries- I'm not usually that way. My name is Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. For the rest of the day, I will be your guide to Camp Half-Blood." Percy told me, capped the sword (was that a _ballpoint pen__?) _and held an arm out to me.

I took it and gave him my best smile that even my haggard appearance couldn't damper. "Drew. Now hurry up, cutie. I know there is a strawberry patch around here somewhere, and I seriously need a shower and nail polish."

Percy laughed and rolled his eyes, but walked us downtown and explained things along the way, sometimes in a teasing manner, sometimes in a deadly serious way.

While walking downtown I realized I could live with having to stay at a camp for the summers if it meant I could have a small chance to insert myself into this epic person's life. Even if it was only friend zone.

I had a feeling Percy wouldn't hinder that in any way as he caught us a cab, and gave instructions to the driver to take us somewhere in Long Island.

Maybe I could start over as a better person at Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts?<strong>

**Next Chapter: Words**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	80. Words

**Me: Thank you so much for the reviews guys! :D**

**WHY MUST PEOPLE IGNORE THE FORESHADOWING?**

**I mean, (SPOILER ALERT!) it's mentioned like, six times in the Son of Neptune with absolute certainty (I'm thinking Apollo has something to do with this) that Percy is going to do something stupid and/ or end up on Gaia's side. Not likely by choice, but something of that nature.**

**And dear God, I can definitely work with that. I love the entire idea of a dark Percy. ^_^**

**Unfortunately, this will be my last one shot exploring that path. -_-**

**(END SPOILER)**

**This is: Words**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Percy, Rachel**

**Summary preview: To heal those broken is a heavy feat.**

* * *

><p>"Get the heck off of me!"<p>

I looked up at the guy in front of me, and attempted to kick his ribcage in. Another guy grabbed my offending foot, and together they dragged me off to a girl with red hair and emerald eyes, ignoring the broken bodies that others were tending too.

"We found Percy Jackson." the guy holding my arms told her.

Her face was one of utter shock. "P-percy?" she asked, a bewildered tone lacing her every word.

I glared at her.

Her eyes narrowed. "Wha-? I thought you were kidnapped! Or dead! What the frikken Hades, Seaweed Brain! I don't even freaking recognize you!" she yelled, and punched my arm. "Oh my gods, Annabeth is going to freaking love us. Finally she can stop freaking out! Its ab-" One of the guys carrying me cut her off.

"Percy was fighting for the other side."

Redhead blinked. "What? But.. no. No, that's impossible. Percy would never..." she trailed off looking down at my restrained body.

"Percy?" she asked softly.

I spat in her face.

Redhead pulled back, her face closing off. "I see. Jake, I trust you to be able to find four other highly trustful people. Annabeth cannot, under _any_ circumstance, know that we... that we have a new prisoner." she told him.

The guy holding my feet nodded, his eyes wide.

"She's going to flip if she finds out on her own. I hope you know that, Rachel."

Rachel took a deep breath. "Yeah. I know. Take him to the basement of the Big House. And get someone to find Grover and bring him down here. We need to talk."

"Got it." the two guys said together before quickly pulling me away, not even getting a second glance on the now empty battlefield.

* * *

><p>I woke up to see Rachel sitting beside me.<p>

"G-afternoon." she told me. I glared at here, deciding to go the silent route this time.

Rachel looked over at me then sighed. "If I was Annabeth, this would be so much easier. You always did like her better then me. But no. She doesn't even know you're here. Otherwise she would have stormed this place that first week. But we need her focused. You... you would destroy that focus more then you already have."

"What are you even talking about?" I spat, giving up struggling and now searching for exits. Screw quiet route. I wanted answers.

Rachel sighed again with that bittersweet smile on her face. "You're girlfriend, Percy. Your mortal point, your best friend, your lifeline."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "You do understand that even if she was real, that it wouldn't matter anymore, right? I've been conditioned for as long as I can remember to crush all sappy emotions such as love, compassion, mercy, kindness, friendship, what some people may call 'morals'. I have no conscience. I am soulless."

"'Since you can remember'? What is that, nine months ago? Maybe ten? Face it, you don't know anything about your old life and that heightens your paranoia. Am I telling the truth? Am I lying about everything? Does it even matter? And do you truly believe yourself soulless? If you were, I'm sure Thantos or Hades would have done something with you by now."

"Why would they? What would they collect? The Underworld only takes souls, never bodies. In fact, they should be in debt to myself, for making their job easier. But since I was speaking in metaphor, this entire explanation has been pointlessly moot. Congratulations."

A flicker of a smile before her expression hardened again.

"You know, when you smile you almost look decent. Not pretty or even cute, but decent. Far better then this frizzy mess I see now."

_CRACK._

The sound ringed through the room as Rachel's hand connected with my face. I grinned and carelessly spat blood out before looking back up at her.

Her expression; priceless.

"Oh, did that strike a nerve? A sensitive topic for my most gracious host? Should I lie and tell you how beautiful you are in ways that will truly be mocking you? Or should I tell you nothing but the truth in Greek so that your little eavesdropping friends out there can translate for you so that your pride isn't hurt so bad? Poor little frizzy haired, flawed, disgusting Rachel." I mocked, my voice one of perfect innocence.

Rachel took a deep breathe and closed her eyes. Her hands clenched like she wanted to hit me again, and for a moment I wished she would. Anything to change this utterly dull pattern my life had became.

Instead she just laughed a little before smirking. "That wasn't what you told me when we made out."

_Well._

That had been unexpected. I saw the pride fill her face as time went by without me having a comeback and heard a guard whistle in the background. For effect of my next words I laughed a little, mocking her yet again.

"And... ? Is it suppose to bother me that I got drunk and found some whore ready to make out? Sweetheart, you might have been the first, but you sure as hell weren't the last."

She took another deep breath, rubbed her hands over her face, and glared at me.

"You are truly a pathetic creature."

And then she was gone.

* * *

><p>Grover.<p>

That was the name of the satyr sitting across from me.

Grover Underwood.

Why did that sound so familiar?

He didn't try and talk me into some religion of good-will like everyone else had. He wasn't spouting off how evil and twisted I was. He didn't act like I was an enemy.

Instead he just played a reed pipe; it was a Hilary Duff song.

Somehow, his fairly off-pitch playing affected me more then anything else they had tried so far.

And when he was gone, I kind of missed him.

* * *

><p>How long had I been here? Weeks? Months?<p>

I decided it was definitely months, as I drew a broken piece of glass across the floor in front of me, willing to do almost anything by now to relieve my boredom.

Where the hell was my fucking rescue team?

* * *

><p><em>They're just words.<em>

Just words.

_Murder. Traitor. Pathetic. Shell. Sadist. Monster._ These were the guards words. Rachel's as well, when I pushed her too far. Insults meant to destroy the image of myself Gaia had so carefully built.

_Favored. Trusted. Loved. Savior. Wanted. Special. Son. _Those were what Gaia had always told me. Gaia, Hypnos, Kelly... the only ones that mattered.

Right?

_Murder. Traitor. Pathetic. Monster. _Moving around and around in my head, in a loop that never ended.

"Face it. They aren't coming for you. You are _nothing_ to them. And you know what's worse? You are less then nothing to the rest of the world. They don't care about you. They don't _want_ you. You have always been just a stupid, ignorant little pawn to them."

One of the girl guards had told me that. Beefy girl. Certainly a child of Ares. And what she said hurt. If I knew that they were just words to bother me, I wouldn't have cared. But they weren't. Everything she said was true. If I was so important like Gaia insisted, then why wasn't I snuck out of here months ago? Why had no one even _tried_ to come and get me?

Maybe that was why I finally gave up.

_Useless. Pawn. Pathetic. Ignorant._

* * *

><p>When Rachel came, I didn't move. Didn't even acknowledge that she was there. A rather differing change from my usual insults. I watched from the corner of my eyes as she hesitated at the doorway, as if waiting for me to critic on some little thing, before walking slowly to sit in front of me.<p>

"Percy?" she asked. When I didn't respond, she sighed before saying "Percy." a bit louder.

I just stared off in space, completely silent. Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Percy. Talk to me."

I slowly turned my head towards her's, and toyed with catching her gaze while saying, "I had a dream once. When I was little. It was about how I was actually a fish, and that the only time I was human was when I was sleeping. I spent the whole next month obsessing over whether or not I was a fish or human."

I gave her one of my model worthy grins. "I was right. The world is just a part of a dream that a fish had one day. Perhaps, I'm not that fish, but neither are you. And in the end, does it matter if it means that you all are tragically murdered in cold blood before the fish wakes up?"

And then I laughed again as I saw her disturbed expression and as she scrambled towards the door calling for a healer.

* * *

><p>When the shocked faces and whispers from passing campers actually reached me as Rachel took me to the Big House, I just grinned, an insane glint to my eyes. I winked at what seemed to be a fifteen year old girl, and watched far too amused as a blonde boy standing next to her instantly pulled her closer to him.<p>

The centaur tried to talk to me. I watched as frustration at my pointless and mocking answers finally got through to him.

He left me alone with the guards, just like everyone else had.

The door opened.

Stormy gray eyes met mine, and in them I saw such disappointment, anger, and betrayal that I forced myself to flick off my emotions.

It was easier to be a soulless, empty person for her, when I didn't have that nagging guilt in the back of my mind.

* * *

><p>Annabeth looked through the mirror glass at her broken friend. Without looking away she asked, "I know that Mr. D said that he can't heal him because whatever Gaia did to his mind was meant to be permanent and she put her entire force behind it. Even so... Will he be okay? Is there some way we can... fix him?"<p>

Rachel followed her gaze and focused on the empty-looking demigod. "I don't know, Annabeth. I just don't know."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: More foreshadowing for a story that will never be written. I only wrote this because I found a bunch of my old notes I had written for a story (IT HAD A PLOT LINE! O.O) like this, and this was close to the end of the middle arch. I actually was proud of my work going over it.<strong>

**And then I remembered my addiction, and put the notes in a binder where I am sure they will rot without inspiration to give them life.**

**Next Chapter: Pen and Paper**

**QUESTION: Does anyone know Annabeth's brothers' names?**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	81. Pen and Paper

**Me: Thank you for the reviews. Lovely, amazing, fantastic, inspirational as always.**

**Also: Thank all you guys who helped me with the Annabeth's brothers' names question! It really helped me write this chapter. :)**

**Lately I've been toying with the idea of deleting ****_Forever the Hero_****© completely and continuing ****_All This Time_****© into a longer story.**

**But then I remember my addiction to FF and wonder if I'll still be into writing anything for a long time after my three month break. If you know what I'm talking about (cough- ****_Musicismyblood-_**** cough) then I would love your opinions. It's been over a year since I started ****_All This Time_****©, and I feel as though my writing style has changed.**

**For better or worse, that is the reader's opinion.**

**Just a thought.**

**This is: Pen and Paper**

**Bobby, Mathew**

**Summary preview: A letter for a genius.**

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Matthew, my twin brother, asked me as he walked into my room.<p>

I glanced up, eyed the iPod in his hand, and debated if I could get away with just ignoring him.

"If you don't answer me, I'm going to go identical twin on you for a week."

And there goes that plan.

"I'm writing a letter."

This was apparently enough of a cause for Mathew to widen his eyes and walk over towards me.

"Who the hell writes letters anymore?" he demanded, peering over my shoulder. I rolled my eyes.

"Our dear, loving, older sister. I tried to ask her why she just didn't Iris Message us like she does dad, but she said something about the Mist twisting the image into something that would make my head explode. Or something. And since she is a demigod, she doesn't like using phones more then necessary. Which, in turn, means no texting. Very short phone calls." I explained, tapping the my pen against my bottom lip.

"Whoa." Mathew replied looking between the pen and paper.

"Yeah."

"So what's so important that you had to search down a piece of paper, borrow a pen from Dad no doubt, and likely buy stamps and envelopes? I mean, Annabeth is a genius, but few things warrant that kind of dedication." Mathew questioned, picking up the piece of paper so he would be able to see it better.

I snatched it out of his hands. "Stop that. And besides, why can't we try to talk to her aside from the few times a year she stops by, usually with that Percy guy? We are her little brothers after all."

Mathew gave me an thoughtful look. "You're right. I should probably talk to her about that. I mean, I know she doesn't like Mom all that much, and although Dad's a good guy and he's kind of awkward around his demigod daughter, she really should come to see us more often. I like Percy well enough, so I don't care if she brings him."

"You, my twin, are completely right. Go find paper and when I'm done with this, you can have the pen, so that you can inform her of this. I'll put your letter in the same envelope with mine when you're done."

"Got it. I'm off to find paper." Mathew told him, before leaving the room, door still open.

I sighed, and rolled my eyes before starting to write again. I could yell at Mathew when he came back later. For now, my attention was solely on the pen and paper before me.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: You know why I wrote this?<strong>

**Because apparently Mathew and Bobby were so unimportant, that they don't even have a character person on the search list in the PJO category.**

**It fairly irritated me. I mean, even Lou Ellen has one and she hasn't spoken yet!**

**So take that, PJO world.**

**Thoughts?**

**Next Chapter: Can You Hear Me?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	82. Can You Hear Me?

**Me: Thank you guys for the reviews! :)**

**58 left before challenge is met! O_O**

**This is: Can You Hear Me?**

**This went from being cute to being angsty. Shocker.**

**No seriously, the cute version of this chapter failed half-way so I just rewrote it with ****_CimFan_****'s request.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Thalia**

**Summary preview: Calling out to a world that no longer cares.**

* * *

><p>Being a tree wasn't that bad, after the first year or so. Dionysus made sure that you didn't die from lack of water, and people usually stopped by and sat by you.<p>

And sometimes you could actually form a complete human thought. Most days you could still use pictures to represent your human thoughts; although those days were getting longer in-between.

Like when you wished to recall the beginning, you used the image of your human self (it was slightly blurry after not having seen it in so long) huddled into a ball to represent the emotion of loneliness that plagued you.

When those rare human thoughts crossed your mind you wondered what emotions felt like.

The first few days, you could kind of remember using human thought to scream at the gods for turning you into a tree.

Eventually it was just a constant stream of _Can you hear me? Can anyone out there even freaking hear me? Luke? Annabeth? Anyone?_

But human thoughts faded, becoming replaced with the images. Like the image of the blonde girl who would sometimes sit beside you and tell you about her day. Or the sandy haired blond guy who you hadn't 'seen' since he looked up at your branches and yelled, with a new, deep cut on the side of his face.

If you could still miss things, you would probably miss him.

_Am I becoming nothing but a tree?_

Human thought. How unusual. You struggled to find an answer and had a vague image of a girl with spike black hair- _no you_- _wait was it __**really?- **__of course not- but wait-_

But then the wind started swirling, and all things human about you left as you danced to the patterns of spring the only way you could.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Would Thalia still have been in her human state of mind the entire six years she was a tree? Seems a little cruel to allow her mind to crumple under the weight of emotions when the entire point of turning her into a tree was to save her.<strong>

**I, personally, would have rather have been completely tree during my time as one, then a despairing sane (hopefully), human.**

**I don't think it matters, as I think somewhere in TC it tells us that Thalia doesn't really remember being a tree at all.**

**Next Chapter: Heal**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	83. Heal

**Me: :) - I'm fairly sure you know why.**

**Finally took the 'Which God Are You'? FF test. You know who I got? ^_^ Hades. That's right. The Angst Master. :D**

**This is: Heal**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Conner, Castor, Chris**

**Summary preview: A term of only three definitions.**

* * *

><p><strong>Heal<strong>

**1. To heal or recover.**

* * *

><p>The hospital wasn't that bad a place to stay. You got some sort of edible thing disguised as food, along with water, and care.<p>

People always coming and going, a constant stream of conversation from the couple on the other side of the room from you. Doctors determined to heal whatever was wrong with you.

You had visitors too. One who came more then the others.

You just kind of wondered why the guy that almost looked like your reflection, kept insisting that you knew him.

He called himself Travis, didn't he? And you... What did he call you again?

Oh. Right. Conner Stoll. What a weird name.

* * *

><p><strong>Heal<strong>

**2. To become healthy again.**

* * *

><p>Pollux was going to be pissed.<p>

That was all you could think as you struggled to take a shallow breath. Pollux was going to be pissed that after going through so many freaking illnesses that you could heal from and be perfectly healthy afterwords, you fell (died...) in battle.

Oh sure, people could go on and on about how noble it was and how you were such a hero, but honestly? It was fairly fail-like that you died by being crushed. I mean, come on. How cliche.

But you knew this was coming. Castor and Pollux were yet another Greek tragedy that Fate had planned out long ago. It didn't help matters that your mother was an idiot and thought the name of the Gemini twins was something to be proud of.

As if you could ever be proud of being fated to die.

Still, you were breathing weren't you? And you could see Pollux in the distance, kind of. He hadn't even no- wait. Yeah, it was about time he noticed that his twin was missing. Gods, you had even seen Percy Jackson look over at you for a moment with some sort of sad and pitying expression.

What a dunce. He probably didn't even know your name, yet he felt he had the right to be sad over your death. Idiot.

Whatever. For a moment you wondered just how Dionysus would react when he heard of your death, before dismissing the though. He would probably dance on your grave while drinking snuck alcohol.

Oh, hey! It seems that Pollux finally found you. Damn time too, because it was becoming a bitch to keep up with the whole breathing thing.

Ha, he was yelling at you, just like you knew he would. Oh Hades. Was that _tears? _Geez. You notice how panicked he looks suddenly, and you start to wonder if he really will be okay after your heart eventually gives up and dies.

Now he's just being ridiculous.

Yes, brother of mine, I know that my name is Castor. No need to senselessly repeat it.

Gods you have never been so tired.

Maybe- maybe you could just... close your eyes for.. a.. second...

* * *

><p><strong>Heal<strong>

**3. To provide a cure for.**

* * *

><p>You definitely owed Mr. D.<p>

After weeks on end with a totally broken mind, it was no short of a miracle that he cured you especially while he was grieving.

Dead son and all that.

And gods, from what you could remember Clarisse had been amazingly kind. And patient.

Which, in itself is a complete oxymoron. And who could have ever guessed that she was into you? And if that little blush that crept up on your cheeks whenever you talked to her, you could probably say that you liked her too.

Chris and Clarisse. It has a certain ring to it.

Gods, it felt good to be healed and know that you can finally live your life the way you want to again.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I like it.<strong>

**I know that I have been neglecting the minor characters a lot lately, so here you go. A chapter dedicated to three of the C minors.**

**Pun intended.**

**I based Castor off a somewhat nicer, demigod Mr. D. So if you were wondering how I got his kind of jaded character, there you go.**

**Next Chapter: Out Cold**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	84. Out Cold

**Me: Thanks for the reviews again :)**

**This is: Out Cold**

**It took me ****_days_**** to even began to ****_think_**** about what I should write for this chapter. And then I wrote Version 1.**

**FAILED.**

**Version 2 was a bit more complex and had an almost good ring to it. But...**

**FAILED again.**

**Version 3 was a crack chapter that had to due with Poseidon, Triton, Percy, and Tyson in a father-son bonding thing. With appearances from Apollo and you know. Egyptian gods. XD**

**That one was... highly amusing but not what I was going for so it FAILED.**

**Versions 5-9 (yes, I actually wrote this over 9 times) were something that you should never read when sober. FAILED.**

**But Version 10... well, it's been posted has it not? :P**

**Kronos**

**Summary preview: You were going to show them all.**

* * *

><p>&amp;&amp;its so <em>quiet<em> here  
><strong>Peaceful, <strong>_calming, _relaxing  
>Or <em><strong>at<strong>_**_ least_**_**  
><strong>_That's what they _want__you __to__ believe__  
>.<em>

&&yeah, those screams of the  
>F.O.R.G.O.T.T.E.N<br>**I g n o r e d  
><strong>B/r/o/k/e/n  
>Are fairly <em>easy<em> to ignore when you're _up above _having fun.  
>.<p>

&&there is _plenty_ of time to ponder your revenge  
>And <span>plan out<span> your **  
><strong>**_g_****  
><strong>**_o_****  
><strong>**_a_****  
><strong>**_l_****  
><strong>**_s_****  
><strong>.

&&look! The Olympians finally  
><strong><em>screwed<em>**** up  
><strong>&&suddenly you have a _whole lot of opportunities  
><em>at your {**_nevernevernever_**} never-ending disposal  
>Good thing your new <strong>host<strong> has such terrible _daddy issues.  
>.<em>

&&that **_Perseus Jackson_** demigod was going to be a  
><strong>p<strong> r **o** b **l** e **m  
><strong>if he didn't _hurry up_ and **die.  
><strong>Soon  
>.<p>

&&maybe, _just __**maybe**_, you've been going at this wrong.  
><strong>Maybe<strong> you should have taken _**Jackson**_ as your host.  
>At least <em>he<em> wouldn't of had a _weakness_ in the form of that  
><em>Daughter of Athena<em>  
>.<p>

&&you failed yet **a g a i n.  
><strong>Taken D.O.W.N. by the  
><em>Son of the eldest gods <em>  
>And the <span>girl-who-should-be-a-tree<span>  
>Way to fail.<br>.

&&it feels so intensely  
><strong>g<br>**_o_  
><em>o<em>  
><span>d<span>  
>To have a <em>body<em> again.  
>Those <strong>nightmarish<strong> memories  
>can finally <em>shut-the-Hades-up<em>  
>You were going to be <strong>K <strong>I **N **G again  
>And not even<strong> Percy Jackson <strong>can stop you.  
>.<p>

&&that _cursed knife  
><em>slashes towards you despite _you trying to stop it_  
>And then the world is <strong>no/t/h/i/n/g** but a  
><em><strong>blaze of fire<strong>_  
>And you are O.U.T.C.O.L.D.<br>for what could very well be _**f o r e v e r**_.  
>.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I love this.<strong>

**But then again, it is a freeverse, and I always love freeverses. They are just epicly done with font play. :D**

**Next Chapter: Spiral**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	85. Spiral

**Me: Thank you for the review ****_Cindella204_****!**

**This is: Spiral**

**I don't own Percy Jackson && the Olympians. That is Rick's job.**

**Rachel, Apollo**

**Summary preview: The only shining light in your silent spiral.**

* * *

><p>&amp;&amp; You were <em>tired <em>of trying to be

**_l i t t l e _****Miss **perfect

(always **measured** up against _Wise Girl_)

so you t/o/o/k the

**pitchblack**

_Pegasus_ named **_B L A C K J A C K_**

(Irony anyone?)

And decided to make a difference

in the _war-razed_ world

.

&& HE sounded so **_scared_**

{**worried**,_ frightened_, concerned, _**angry**_}

when he saw you

_lying on the __**ground**_

And maybe, **just maybe**, you made a mistake in choosing this life

.

Apollo was there when you woke up

[**The Sun_god. You had always liked him best**]

Smiling, basically telling you

_everything would be okay_

and at that **moment,** you almost _believed_ him

.

The Giant War was O.V.E.R.

_He_ was **safe** && **home **again

so the Oracle could

**STFU** and leave _him _alone

.

It sucked not going out and

**d a t i n g **like _normal_ 19 year olds

But since _**when **_have you ever been _normal_?

.

&&sometimes

(**always, **_never, _usually, as if)

you _wondered _what would happen to the Fates if the

[_p r e c i o u s_] Oracle was to die

.

&& he was there

all S.H.I.N.I.N.G. light breaking through

you _oh so_ silent **s/p/i/r/a/l** of

**d**

**a**

**r**

**k**

depression

.

_One missed call_

Then **two** or **three**

Suddenly you were _**isolated**_

_trapped_ in a game that a human **could never** have **thought of**

let alone win

.

Somehow it went from _[friendly]_ kisses and **{coffee}**dates to

**_Apollo_** && _**Rachel**_

_sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G_

_first comes love, then comes-_

Whoever made that song certainly never heard of the Sun God

.

_Innocent until proven guilty_

Had you **_{really, truly, honestly, seriously}_** believed that he would

s/t/a/y with only you?

Keep _dreaming,_ honey

You knew from the **_start_** it wouldn't last

.

New Oracle, new girl, new game.

That's just how the Sun God **(favorite? Not anymore)** worked.

And that _note_ you got from him?

**Burned.** _Destroyed._ Whatever.

Your _life_ was **yours.****_Apollo_** could _**burn in Hades**_for all you cared.

You **already** had plans anyways.

.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Confusing? Good. Then I am doing my job. :)<strong>

**Next Chapter: Seeing Red**

**It could possibly be the start of a mini series. I don't know yet.**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	86. Seeing Red

**Me: Thanks for the reviews guys. :)**

**This is: Seeing Red**

**All Human chapter, my dear readers.**

**WARNING: A little bit of vulgar language.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Thalia, Luke**

**Summary preview: Betrayal of the harshest kind.**

* * *

><p>"Luke!" I called out, unlocking the door to our apartment, careful not to drop my coffee.<p>

No answer.

"Must still be at the brother in-law's." I muttered while completely opening the door and walking in.

I looked over the living room, peered around the hallway corner, and rolled my eyes.

Idiot boy. He probably already forgot that it was our first anniversary. I mean, I hadn't been expecting much, but him not actually being on yet another cutesy romance thing? It was enough to make any hopeless romantic girl start seeing red.

Luke was such a bastard sometimes.

I sat on the couch, coffee in hand, and stared at the remote. Did I want to sit home alone, watching TV again, or did I actually want to go somewhere?

I snorted and reached for the remote. As if I had anywhere to go. 24 years old and already an isolated wife. What goals I had accomplished.

After staring at the TV, numbingly watching some horror movie, my phone beeped to let me know it was dying.

I smiled at the background picture- Luke, Annabeth (practically my little sister), and I making weird faces at the camera. I debated on calling her, but in the end decided not to. She was a 19 year old, and from what she told me last time I called, dating her college's academic star. Besides, it was a Friday night- no way she was staying home.

I sighed and shut down my phone. It wasn't like I would be needing it.

* * *

><p>3:23 A.M.<p>

That is what time Luke decided to come home, unfortunately waking me up in the process.

"What the hell are you doing?" I muttered, slowly making my way off the couch.

Luke had the decency to look sheepish. "I am so sorry. I was with Travis and... you know what? It doesn't matter. Sorry I forgot to call you and let you know that I wouldn't be home until late tonight. I didn't even realize what time it was..." he trailed off at my glare.

"You fail at being a husband." I informed him, my voice completely neutral.

"What do you mean?"

"When you figure that out, you will understand. Until then, I am going to sleep. Don't bother following me; you're sleeping out here on the couch tonight. Now if you will excuse m-"

The door opened and a seemingly drunk Travis (wasn't he underage?) walked in.

Travis pointed at Luke. "You, my older brother, need to hurry up. The car is still running."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really? And just where is the car going, Travis?"

Travis seemed to notice that it was not just him and Luke in the room for the first time. His eyes widened, squinted, then glazed over again.

"Oh you know. That new place by the old bakery."

"The flubbing _strip club_?" I demanded. I turned on Luke next. "Don't _think_ I don't see you motioning for him to keep quiet! Frikk it Luke! Don't you know what today- or actually yesterday considering it's freaking _3 something in the morning_- you moron? And you have the fucking nerve to go out to a _strip club_? What the hell is _wrong _with you?"

Screw hopeless romantics. _I_ was seeing red.

Luke's eyes narrowed. "You know, if you would actually take the time to _tell_ me what yesterday was, that little tantrum of yours would have a lot more of an impact on me."

Travis who had been backing away since about mid-way through my first rant suddenly slammed the door behind him as he ran away.

"Tantrum? You want a flubbing tantrum? You fu-" I cut off suddenly and took a deep breath. "Yesterday," I grounded out, "was our _wedding anniversary._ Yeah. You know. The first one at that."

Oh now he looked guilty. Spineless coward.

Luke opened his mouth to reply. I quickly cut him off. "Oh, don't even _begin_ to think that I'm done talking. For Gods sake, Luke, I sit here alone on most nights because you isolated me from the rest of the fucking world! Don't get that disagreeing expression. We both know it would have never happened if you hadn't steady monopolized my time!"

"Don't you dare blame me for your social issues. You invited me places way more times then I invited you." Luke hissed.

"That's right- because you usually invited yourself!"

"It is not my fault that you are a fucking self centered, HERMIT WIFE!"

"Not your fault? _Not your fault?_ It's all your fault you useless deadbeat failure!"

"Oh so, _I'm _the deadbeat failure? Look in the mirror sometime, princess! At least I have a steady job and income! And if you're so freaking lonely then maybe you should improve your negative attitude! Who knows, maybe someone might actually like you instead of secretly hating you! Yeah, the truth hurts doesn't it princess? Even Annabeth doesn't like talking to you. Did you know that the guy she had been dating dumped her? She called me crying and told me not to say anything to you about a month ago. When I talked to her yesterday, she was meeting up with some swimming team captain. There is a reason she doesn't confide in you anymore, Thalia!"

I sucked in a breath and ignored the stab of hurt that sent racing through my head.

I shook my head biting back everything I wanted to scream at him. "I don't have to deal with this." I muttered, grabbed a near by hiking backpack, and started putting things I would need for the next month inside it.

Luke watched me for a few minutes before asking "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm leaving. I hope you have fun at the strip club Luke, because I'm filing for divorce tomorrow." I snapped, zipping up my bag.

"Are you seriously going to do that after one fight?"

I spun around and looked him the eye. "Yes. I am sick and tired of staying home alone most nights, while you are out with your friends. Goodbye and good riddance, Luke Castellan."

The door slammed shut behind me.

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Thoughts?<strong>

**And announcement: The next few chapters are going to be couple chapters, all displaying different (fairly cannon) pairing in different stages of emotions. All shall be All Human chapters.**

**Love (Becklina) , Anger (Nico/ OC), Happiness (Percabeth), Surprise (Tratie), and Annoyance (Clarisse/Chris). Probably not in that order, but within the next 5 chapters all pairing will be shown. (WARNING: May have over-used plots that people love anyway)**

**Hoped you enjoyed the Betrayal chapter of Luke/Thalia.**

**Next Chapter: Food**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	87. Food

**Me: Reviews were happy-inspiring again.**

**Recently found this really creepy-but-awesome poem thing. I'm going to love incorperating it into a drabble after this mini-series...**

**This is: Food**

**^- - is something totally random out of context. ^_^ **

**All Human.**

**Silena, Beckendorf**

**I don't own PJO**

**Summary preview: Who would have thought it started with food?**

* * *

><p>"Is anyone else sitting here?"<p>

I looked up from my iPod long enough to see a really cute, kind of buff, and interested looking guy standing awkwardly off to the side of my table. A quick glance around the food court showed that there was no where else available.

I paused my game and gave him a dazzling smile. "Of course not."

He gave me a grateful smile.

Cue awkward silence.

"So... I'm Silena"

He kind of started as though I had surprised him. But what looked like a quick, automatic grin passed over his face as he said "Beckendorf"

I nodded.

"So do you come here a lot?"

I laughed.

* * *

><p>"I've known you for two months, and I still don't know your real name."<p>

Beckendorf looked offended. "Beckendorf _is_ my real name."

I sighed. "You know what I mean. I don't know your first name."

"And I don't know your last." he countered.

"Okay. Fine then. Let the girl be the bigger person. My last name is Beauregard."

Beckendorf blinked, then sighed. "Nice to know, Silena Beauregard. My name is Charles Beckendorf."

I grinned in success. "We're going to be epic friends, Charlie. I can tell."

Beckendorf groaned.

* * *

><p>"Hey" Beckendorf pointed at me with a sly grin. "Food can be an emotion too. A primitive one, but an emotion none the less."<p>

I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" I questioned then grinned and dramatically clutched my heart. "Oh God, I'm feeling so food-like today! And look at him! He looks like he is in a total food mood. Are you feeling foody today?"

Beckendorf looked bemused. "I do believe that is the most dorkish I have ever seen you act."

I winked. "Then you obviously haven't been around me much."

"Then we'll just have to fix that, won't we?"

The butterflies in my stomach started up again even as I said, "Totally."

* * *

><p>"And so then, I was, like, attempting to explain to my father why it would be negative on my health if I went to camp, and you know what he did? He laughed at me and made me go anyways. I was eaten alive by bugs that summer. Seriously, I was like their food source. But, I did learn the leason of compassion that year, so I suppose it was worth it. Probably."<p>

Beckendorf leaned against the table's chair that we still met at even half a year later.

"Compassion verses having mosquitoes suck your blood... Compassion is used more often, and your blood does come back... Still, I hate the stupid things."

I patted his arm in understanding. "I fully sympathize."

I notice the blush that spread across his face at my touch, but didn't say anything.

I really didn't want him to end up being another brush-off ex-boyfriend.

* * *

><p>I jumped up on my kitchen counter and smirked as Beckendorf awkwardly stood off to the side of the room.<p>

"My dad isn't going to randomly burst through the kitchen door and start accusing you of things, you know. He did let you in the house after all."

Beckendorf's glare easily told me that he didn't believe me.

"Look, calm down and get me pudding. Or jello. I don't care which."

"Do I even want to ask?"

I huffed. "So I'm sixteen and still an addict to pudding and jello cups. Sue me."

Beckendorf laughed, and the tension ran out of his shoulders. "I'll get right on that lawcase."

I threw a towel at him. "Just get me the food, loser."

"Certainly, complainer."

"Better than being a nerd."

"Anything is better then being a prep."

"Je-" I caught my breath. During this entire exchange I had warily noticed that Beckendorf had been slowly moving closer. Now he was right in front of me.

"What was that?" he asked, a small smirk on his lips.

"Jerk." I whispered.

Beckendorf laughed. "That's what I thought."

And then he kissed me.

So I kissed him back.

"Beckendorf, did you by any chance-" Dad asked walking into the kitchen.

We quickly broke apart and I giggled a little at the scene. Accusing father, walking through the kitchen doors.

"'Cause that isn't ironic." Beckendorf muttered. I giggled louder.

* * *

><p>"You know, I have the desire to kiss you senseless right now."<p>

Beckendorf smirked. "I could say the same."

Because that is just what happens when a couple see each other in fabulous clothing during Prom night.

I took his arm as we walked out, got on his motorcycle, and waved to my concerned-looking father as we sped away.

* * *

><p>"Shopping? You are seriously taking me <em>shopping?<em>"

"Hey," I said, getting slightly defensive. "I sat with you through three hours of a repair shop tour. You can handle watching me dress up in stylish things."

"When you put it that way..." Beckendorf teased.

I rolled my eyes and swatted his arm even as he gathered me into his arms. "Boys. You're all closet pervs."

* * *

><p>I looked up at Beckendorf's face and saw an amused expression on it as he stared down at me.<p>

I took a deep breath and plastered a grin. "Guess what?"

"What?" he asked, playing along.

"I think that I love you."

Shock filtered through his eyes and a hesitant smile crossed his face. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Charlie let out a relieved laugh. "Thank God. I had been planning on you noticing the note on the mirror from me that said the same thing for the last half-hour."

My eyes widened, and I jumped off the couch and ran to the living room mirror, where sure enough, a pink stick-it note was attached.

_I love you._

_- Beckendorf_

I grinned stupidly and walked back, wrapping my arms around him.

"Just be happy my dad didn't find this first." I teased.

Beckendorf's expression changed to one of horror. "Oh the awkwardness that would have occurred..."

I leaned down and whispered, "Just so you know, I love you too."

* * *

><p>"You know, it's <em>fun<em> to be a normal teenager. I know that those tragic heroes says that it's boring and why should they be normal when they can be a bad boy, but what do they know? They live in books!" I mused, just a little too loudly.

Someone had certainly spike my punch during the graduation party.

At least Beckendorf looked stable. Mostly.

Though the guyish giggling was kind of creepy, it was cute too. And when he was all blurred I could at least pretend that he wasn't as wasted as I was.

I leaned over to give him a quick kiss.

I ended up throwing up on his lap.

* * *

><p>"Our apartment isn't that big, and even though our colleges aren't that far apart, there is the issue that we do go to separate places. So we have the gas bill, the rent bill, and all those others that we just can't afford. So Charlie was going to quit, and let me be a fashion designer, but who knows how long that would take, so instead I quit college first. He can become a mechanic a lot faster then I can become a known designer, and I can take a side job now and still drop him off at college on the way there. Everything is going to work out." I explained, holding my cell phone in one hand, a newspaper in the other.<p>

"Silena, you shouldn't have to-"

"Just because I shouldn't, doesn't mean that I won't, Dad. It's either this, or Beckendorf living on the streets, because he doesn't have time for college, his practical studies, and a part-time job. So I take the part-time job, he gets his degree, and I go to college later on. The bills get paid, and everyone is happy."

My dad sighed in that disapproving way, but he knew that I was set on this. "Then I wish you the best, sweetie."

"Thank you. Now, you have to tell me what you have been doing now that it's only you at home."

* * *

><p>"I'll call you, okay?" I promised. Beckendorf gave me a soft smile.<p>

"I'll be fine. I'll call you when the boat docks. And then when I get back from this miniature student trip, I'll take you out to eat somewhere."

A quick kiss, and he was out the door.

"Bye." I whispered at the already closed door.

* * *

><p>"Will you marry me?"<p>

I looked down at the proposing Beckendorf, and saw just how vulnerable he felt asking me this question in a very public place, with a whole lot of people watching us, waiting for my answer.

I genitally took the ring from him and gave him a soft smile. "Of course, Charlie."

A sigh of relief, and then the observers applauded.

I sat back down at my seat, but ignored my food for the rest of the night, just content to discuss things with Beckendorf.

* * *

><p>"Now, I swear to God Silena, that if you get food on your dress, I will never forgive you." my maid of honor, Clarisse told me, appraising my over-all look.<p>

The door behind me opened and the dark figure in a tux walked in.

"You know, they say it's horrible luck to see the bride before the wedding." I mused, looking over my hairstyle.

My bridesmaids quickly scurried out of the room, giggling. Clarisse sent Beckendorf a mock-glare before closing the door behind her.

"If I cared, would I be here?" Beckendorf asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Probably not, but you never know." I peered up at him. "So? What do you want?"

"Can I not visit my fiance?"

"Not when I was getting ready to walk down that silver carpet and say my vows."

"You wound me. No seriously, I just..." he trailed off, suddenly looking uncertain.

I relaxed, and looked him in the eye. "Needed reassurance that this is the right thing to do?" I questioned.

A quick, almost shameful nod.

"It's okay. That's why I called you at four this morning."

Beckendorf laughed and I suddenly realized that I couldn't call him Beckendorf in my mind anymore.

Because in just a few minutes, _I_ would be Beckendorf. Silena and Charles Beckendorf.

I blinked, and was brought out of my thoughts as I heard footsteps coming this way.

"Go, go, go!" I whisper-giggled as I hid Be- _Charlie_ in a closet.

My dad opened the door and smiled when he saw me. "You look so much like your mother right now." he told me walking in. I saw Charlie sneak past behind him and out the door.

"Really?" I asked, looking over at a mirror.

Blonde hair, piled up in an elaborate up-do that was really just a fancy pony-tail, two curls hanging down, and my dress.

Bikini strings around my neck, a soft fabric that reached my waist before flaring out to a medium width. Silver patterns were everywhere, and the veil was lined in silver.

My blue and silver chandelier earring, my borrowed sterling silver bracelet, my aunts necklace, and my new shoes.

"Yes. Are.. are you ready?" he asked, holding out his arm.

I looked at it for a moment then nodded.

"Then let's go." he said, and together we walked out to meet the crowd of people.

* * *

><p>"I love you." he told me, after we had driven away in our 'Just-Married' car.<p>

I leaned against him and closed my eyes.

"I love you too."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: I tried to throw food in there as much as I could without being ridiculous. Not sure if I succeeded, but it was there at the more important scenes.<strong>

**After all, the entire thing started with them meeting at a food court in the mall. ;)**

**Next Chapter: Pain**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	88. Pain

**Me: I did say that I make no promises. O_o**

**FAIL OF A DANCE TIME! 500+ REVIEWS! :D :D :D  
>THE GOAL HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED! :D :D :D<br>HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSERY! :D :D :D  
>(That is a lot of things to be happy about. ^_^)<strong>

**SHOUT OUT TO: ****_AtlantaJackson95_**** for being the 500th reviewer! (And 487-515th... that's almost three pages O_O) This chapter is dedicated to her.**

** Guest I would love to have incorporated your idea in to a chapter, but I already have all the plots for the rest of the story planned out. :\ Sorry.**

**This is: Pain**

**This is: A Nico chapter as well, because even though I love the guy, I don't write about him nearly as much as I should.**

**This is: A highly AU. Like, HIGHLY. And do you remember how I said that this series would be an AH series? Well they ****_are_**** human. But the gods always have meddled with humanity...**

**I don't own PJO, but I do own Melanie Foster.**

**Nico**

**Summary preview: Difference spawns Fear. Fear evokes Hate. Hate nurses Pain.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

When I was ten years old, my sister and I escaped from our foster parents' hotel/apartment place.

"Where are we going?" I asked, as Bianca pulled my arm. She didn't even glance back, just sped up her pace.

"Away. Far, far away from this hotel. Understand?" she told me, her voice high and tensed.

I frowned, but nodded anyways. Why would Bianca want to leave? We had lived there for almost six years. I thought it was home.

Looking at the advanced cars racing by, I realized that the world had changed a lot in six years.

-100DIWPJ-

"Finally." Bianca muttered as a small, rundown and rotting motel came into view. Bianca pulled out a wallet and- wait.

"Where did you get the wallet?" I questioned, my attitude only curious and not accusing.

Bianca smirked. "That snobby guy that shoved us out of his way. It wasn't that hard. His coat pocket was wide open for anyone to take it. Besides, we need the money a lot more then he does."

A twinge of guilt played out in my stomach as I watched Bianca set us up a room. The manager didn't even bother with finding out how old she was, and just gave her the room key.

That was the day that I realized the world doesn't care about anything but self-gain.

-100DIWPJ-

"Nico, get up. The police are searching this place. We gotta go before they find us."

I blinked tiredly up at her, but got up anyways. This wasn't the first time the police had searched the residence we had been staying at after all.

Throwing what little stuff I had laying around into my book-bag, I also made sure to erase any trace I could that showed people had once lived here.

I decided to ignore the way the shadows clung to our feet as we quickly snuck out of the hellhole.

-100DIWPJ-

By the time I was eleven, I had found out that the Greek gods were real. Not only that, but that for some reason, they liked having mortal champions.

Or at least, that is what the satyr told us a few hours before he got killed after monster attack and gave him an infected wound. He had been leading us to a meeting with Lord Hades. One of us was suppose to have ended up being his champion.

We eventually found the way there ourselves one month to the day before I turned twelve, and had our meeting with Lord Hades. There were a few... _test_ to prove that we were strong enough not to embarrass him as a champion.

I left the Underworld, having passed each test well enough to earn the title 'Champion' and the formal name of 'Death-Bringer'.

Bianca stayed, her soul waiting to be judged, while her now life-less body was burned.

-100DIWOPJ-

When I turned twelve, I was taken to the Underworld to be trained.

Hours upon hours doing nothing but learning how to weld swords, daggers, certain types of guns, and archery. Dozens of escaping monsters fell by my hand, and on my rare days off, I realized that the spirits would part when I walked by in the Asphodel fields, never meeting my gaze.

Don't get me wrong- the Underworld wasn't a terrible place to live when you have free reign like I do. It can be alluring and frightening, but it is not evil - just silent and dark. There is no sorrow in the Underworld, but there is also no joy. Outside of the palace, it is nearly silent, broken only by the skeleton guards and the faint sound of the five rivers Lethe, Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon and Styx. Of course there are the Fields of Punishment as well. The screams there never stop, but if you spend enough time there (like Hades sentenced me to once after skipping training) the screams become easy to tone out and stop bothering you.

That experience is likely why I don't fly into panic whenever I hear even what would usually be a bloodcurdling scream.

The goddess Hecate (who started calling me her favorite nephew after the third time she visited), and the god Hypnos would occasionally visit the Underworld. Hecate would be at the palace as a reward for the whole Persephone abduction (I noted that although that was the case, the two would sit and gossip for hours) and Hypnos could be found at the River Lethe or in the palace discussing world topics with Hades. A few other minor gods and goddesses wandered around, but none that would approach me. And of course, there was Thanatos.

All of Thanatos' visits, some of Hecate's, and a few of Hypnos' would get me out of training for the day.

I learned that Charon wasn't that bad of a guy to hang out with (even if he was a complainer), Thanatos was highly confusing, and that the dead would randomly walk to the river Lethe only to never been seen again. I also learned that Hades had no humor. At all. And he had a serious superiority complex that usually took over during our lessons on how to be a weapon and how to use objects in my surrounding as a weapon.

My life was not easy, or even what most people would call 'normal'. But it was something that I was comfortable with and the gods and goddesses that ruled over me eventually became used to having a mortal around again.

Hades became a respected authority figure and Persephone a sort of bizarre adopted-mother as she was the one who taught me ballroom danging, constantly worried over me, fixed my hair at random times, and who took me above ground on my days off.

All in all, the Underworld became the home I hadn't had since I was a child.

-100DIWPJ-

Almost three years after I came to live in the Underworld, I came back from visiting the Asphodel fields looking for Bianca, only to be told that she had chosen to be reborn. I had never felt more alone than at that moment of my life. Sure, I hadn't seen Bianca since I was eleven but I had never really grieved for her after I learned that I would be living in the Underworld. In the back of my mind I always imagined that she was still with me, even if I couldn't see her.

Now she would always be gone, never to remember our childhood again.

Persephone eventually got me to stop moping over it with the idea of a more pressing issue then my family (or lack-of) issues.

_Hades_' family issues. We had been invited to a meeting of the gods to present their champions. Basically, the gods and goddess were only there for bragging rights. Somehow I ended up meeting two people who convinced me that I would be okay.

Their names are Percy Jackson and Melanie Foster.

-100DIWPJ-

I first met Percy Jackson when I was a little over a week away from being 15. I had been left at the entrance to Olympus to find my way on my own while Hades' teleported inside, and I somehow ended up completely lost. Lost in a place with impressive architecture, sure. But still lost.

Wandering down a hallway in hopes of finds the ever elusive music, I saw a guy maybe a year or two older than me cross by the end of the hallway. The thought of him being a god floated briefly through my mind, but once you live with a god and goddess, it's kind of hard not to be able to recognize one in an instant. This was either a minor god or a champion.

"Hey!" I yelled, running now in order to catch up with him. A few seconds later and I saw his head poke around the edge of the hallway. A shocked looked crossed his face when he saw me that morphed into an amused look. I finally caught up with him while he waited patiently.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" he asked, expression easy. But I could see the underlying tension, the way he was positioned that would make it easy for him to tackle me in a sudden attack. I moved to let my stance look casual, but still able to block if the need came.

"Party invitation." I answered curtly, a little miffed at his automatic assumption that I was dangerous. I mean, I _am_ dangerous, but he could have at least been decent enough to not make assumptions.

"Did you find it and hope that this is some epic party or were you invited?"

"What is this, twenty questions? My patron was invited, so by extension, I was invited. Champion status and all that." I snapped.

His relaxed as soon as I mentioned having an invited patron. "Then I should probably show you the way to the ballroom. Don't look all freaked out. I'm guessing this is your first time here so your patron is either Apollo which is unlikely as he usually only takes girl champions, Ares, Hestia, or Hades. Hestia wouldn't leave you to fend for yourself, and I don't know the others well enough to know if they would or not. Oh, stop hesitating. You haven't been to an actual party before you go to an Olympus party. Trust me."

And I did, if only for the fact that I had no idea where I was going.

-100DIWPJ-

"So where do you live?" Percy asked as he steered me to a huge gated party.

"Oh you know. Hell. Despite what people think, it's actually pretty cold there most of the time." I answered flippant, eying the gates with distaste.

That earned a laugh and a pat on the back.

"I should have known. Hades' champion?" he asked, taking in my assemble. I raised my eyebrows but nodded.

"What about you? Where does Poseidon's chosen one live?" I mocked in good nature.

He shrugged as the gates opened up for us and we walked in. "Here and there. I grew up in Poseidon's palace though."

I nodded and stood at the entrance for a moment, taking it all in. The I followed the guy. As sad as it may be, he was the only person I knew well enough (aside from Hades, wherever he was) not to put me through some humiliating test.

So when we stopped by the nectar, I was extremely relieved. I hated parties with a passion, and becoming a wallflower was in my nature.

A shrill ring went off, the sound coming from the guy's book-bag. Many eyes turned our way, but no conversation was stopped, nor did the music falter. We must not have been important enough to render silence. Well, mostly. A tall blonde girl seemed to slip away from someone and started heading over.

"Poseidon is going to kill me." he muttered, taking off his book-bag and motioning for me to hold it.

"You work at a university?" I asked as the guy's- I really need to find out what his name was- open his bag showed his university sweatshirt.

"If you could call it 'work'. I'm the swim team's captain. For now, anyways. Poseidon has this thing with surprising me at random times with his presence and giving me orders to follow. Usually in some far, remote island." he explained, checking the text message and putting the phone back in his bag. I handed it back to him and his quickly threw it over his shoulders.

The tall blonde girl finally reached us and smirked. "You just completely embarrassed Lord Poseidon. I owe you one, Seaweed Brain." she told him, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Athena is never going to let him live this down. Ugh, I fail at being a champion of one of the Big Three." he sighed, then pointed at the suddenly laughing girl. "Shush, Annabeth. You may be Athena's golden girl, but I know that you don't know everything."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

'Seaweed Brain' grinned triumphantly. "Like the name of Hades' champion."

Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned before acknowledging me for the first time.

"Do you- wait. Shaw hair. Dark clothing. Lack of skin pigment. _You_ are the champion of Hades. Cool." she said shortly, analyzing me, then turning back to Percy. "Who is he?"

"This is..." he waved his hand at me and awkwardly trailed off. I realized that he didn't know my name any more then I knew his.

"Nico." I answered shortly.

Annabeth smiled. "Well it's good to meet you, Nico. Although, I have to wonder why exactly you are with Percy." Percy. Burning question answered.

"He's a stray. Found him wondering the streets of Olympus this morning." Percy told her. I scowled.

"He is right here and able to speak, you know. And calling me a stray implies that I'm not a human, but rather an animal that you decided to keep as a pet."

Annabeth snorted. "Interesting point of view, Nico. Well Percy? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Oh, don't go all psychiatrist on me. Or lawyer. Or whatever expensive profession you have stored in your spit-personalities that you use to make me answer things."

Annabeth laughed. "Big words. I'm so proud."

"Shut up, blondie. Just because you-" Percy broke off with an expression morph into neutral as the air around us dropped a few degrees. "Lord Hades. It's an honor." Percy told my patron with a almost-but-not-quiet hidden grimace. A hand came down on my shoulder.

"Flattery will get you no where, Storm-Bringer. Don't look so shocked; you look exactly like my brother. If I didn't know any better I would say that Poseidon broke the law the Fates gave us so long ago." Hades said, sounding completely bored.

Percy winced. "Well I grew up under his and Amphitrite's care, my lord. It is only to be expected."

I saw Hades wave his hand from the corner of my eye. "I suppose it is. Knowledge-Seeker." Hades greeted Annabeth. Annabeth gave him a tense nod that Hades returned before leading me away.

"Poseidon and Athena's champions? And here I thought you had better taste. At least they are both powerful allies." Hades mused as we got closer to a group of very powerful beings. I eyed them nervously. Judging from the looks they were giving Hades I was either going to be ignored to used as an anger outlet.

Fun.

-100DIWPJ-

"So you're the one Persephone gushes about? You know, the way she talks about you, one would think she sees you as her own son. " The goddess leaned down to whisper, "After all, she never did have children. As much as she hates your patron, they never have cheated on each other." she leaned back up and giggled. "Aren't they cute?" she exclaimed. I could only thank other godly occupants in the room that she was human sized.

I sighed. Lady Aphrodite had somehow got it in her head that I needed to be gossiped with and fussed over. Yeah, having the most beautiful woman I had ever seen pay attention to only me was a good thing at first, but seriously. I was almost 15. I didn't need to be babied.

Hades, the useless jerk that he was, was just standing back being ten feet tall and looking amused. Oh sure, be amused at my passive-aggressive torture. Jerk.

I downed what had to of been my third glass of nectar as I waited for someone to start the conversation back up.

Ares peered at me. "You're not a shrimp. That is about as good a statement I can say about you, kid. Do you even know how to fight?" Ares questioned a cruel smirk crossing his face. Aphrodite rolled her eyes but looked curious all the same.

I wanted to glare but even I knew that glaring at the god of war was a bad decision. "I grew up in the Underworld for the past four years where monsters roam free or attempt to escape. It is highly unlikely that I would be alive still if I did not know how to defend myself, Lord Ares." I said blandly. Ares narrowed his eyes.

"I didn't say anything about you knowing how to defend yourself. I asked _do you know how to fight_?"

I flipped my bangs out of my face. "Of course I do. _Someone_ has to kill the escaping monsters. I know five different forms of martial arts and I'm at least a brown belt or above in all of them. Before I lived in the Underworld, I lived on the streets of New York with my sister. That says something by itself. I can kill a hellhound with ease. Cyclops can be a little tricky, but in the end none of them have ever gotten to the River Styx and crossed over." I glanced over at Hades before adding, "Unless Hades gives me specific instructions to allow them to pass, of course. So to answer your question Lord Ares, _yes_ I _can_ fight."

Ares gave me a searching look before acknowledging me with a satiated nod. Aphrodite grinned.

"I see Persephone got to you about your manners. Isn't he the cutest? Oh, if I didn't already have Silena, you just may have been out of a champion, Uncle." Aphrodite teased.

"For a mortal, the boy is unusually well at his job. I just may have challenged you for sponsorship of him. I'm certain Persephone wouldn't have been to pleased if he suddenly left either." Hades responded.

Aphrodite shrugged and then winced as her gaze found Artemis'. "Anyways... I'm going to go. Oh look! Your new champion. Mark correct?" I heard her ask Ares before they walked out of my hearing range, growing absurdly tall in the process.

"Well. That was certainly..." Hades trailed off as even he wasn't able to describe what had just happened. I scowled up at him.

"It was what? A completely pointless destruction of my pride? A failed power play?" I snapped. Hades just sighed.

"Reign in your temper. It would be highly annoying if I had to prove that you weren't just a failure of a champion just because one of the more gossip-prone guest decided to spread rumors. Of course, me proving my fact could likely get you killed and I would be free to find a different champion, but like I said. Persephone would not be pleased."

"Of course. I'm sorry for your inconvenience." I replied wearily and went in search of a familiar face that was actually mortal and not some shrunk god or goddess.

Percy saw me a few seconds before I saw him and he snagged my arm. I turned and saw a concerned Annabeth by his side.

"You know, most of the time I ignore other champions. It's difficult having to deal with them, and the personalities the Olympians drill into us. But I guess I realize that while we are allowed to live on our own, you have to stay in the Underworld, don't you?" Annabeth asked. When I nodded hesitantly she continued.

"I'm pretty sure you are going to end up with social issues if you don't start spending time on Earth and not just Olympus and the Underworld. We obviously can't go visit you- the Underworld has only been breached by the living twice. But if you ever get a day off, you should come and visit us." she told me.

"You know, I just got babied by Aphrodite. I'm not a pity case despite what you may think." I told her irritation shadowing my voice.

"We don't mean it like that. Come on, you're what? Fourteen, fifteen? Your social psych could already be gone, but that doesn't mean we can't attempt to do some damage control. Besides, you're pretty cool to hang out with. And you can't honestly tell me you like living around the dead and Hades all the time." Percy interjected.

"Here is our addresses, just in case you change your mind." Annabeth told me, handing me a slip of paper.

"You do know that I rarely get a day off, right? And that when I do Persephone tends to scheduled what I do on those days."

Percy made a face. "Is she like Hera or more like Amphitrite?"

"What?"

"Is she a total bitch to you like Hera is to my friend Thalia or is she a bit of a controlling mother like Amphitrite is to me?"

"Oh. I don't know. More like Aphrodite I guess. She's like my adopted mom should have been, I guess." I answered.

"Your adopted mom?" Annabeth questioned lightly.

"Yeah. My real mom died in childbirth so me and Bi-" my voice caught on her name, and I closed my eyes in a long blink before continuing. "So me and my sister were put in the orphanage. We got adopted out fairly soon, considering that we were to be adopted as a pair or not at all. I was four when they took us to the hotel and B-Bianca was six. We left six years later on a summons from Lord Hades through a satyr." I fudged the details some but gave them the gist of my life.

I began to wonder just how much nectar I had drank if I was spilling this much of my life's story to basically strangers.

"Both of you? And since all the test are similar with only slight personal changes, that means... Gods, Nico I am so sorry." Annabeth apologized. I waved it off.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault and even if it was, there isn't anything you could have done to change what happened. Except kill me off. And then I would probably be pissed off."

"If you say so..." she trailed off.

I nodded.

"On to lighter topics," Percy began before going off into a ramble about the music he was hearing. Of course, I was listening to Three Days Grace, and Annabeth commented on how she was hearing some classical music, but whatever.

It was a different topic and I was cool with that.

-100DIWPJ-

Escaping to Percy's while Hypnos distracted Hades, I hesitantly knocked on his door. Percy answered it, a bowl of cheerios in his left hand, and a cell phone tucked between his shoulder and cheek. He motioned for me to come in. I did so hesitantly.

"Dude. Be serious. Triton _hates_ coming above water. There is no way that was him." Percy protested to whoever was on the phone with him. There was a muffled reply and Percy's face twisted. "I'm sure that there are a lot of Perseus' out there." Yet another muted reply and Percy's face went back to a wary smile. "Yeah, probably not with the last name Jackson. Okay, whatever. If I see the bastard I'll be sure to slam the door in his face. Now I got to go. I'll talk to you later. And thanks for the heads up." Percy told them, waited a few more seconds, then snapped the phone closed.

"Oh gods. This sucks." he sighed as he started eating his cereal again.

"What? The cereal or the Triton guy?" I questioned. Percy looked over at me like he had forgotten I was there and tilted his head before swallowing.

"It _is_ you. Cool. I'm glad you took up the offer to escape from your insane patron and talk to a normal person once in a while." Percy teased.

I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't go so far as to call _you_ normal. Besides, Persephone makes sure I'm alive. And Hypnos, Thanatos and Aunt Hecate visit all the time." I defended myself. Percy snorted.

"You do realize that you just made your situation sound ten times worse? I mean, living with one god is hard. Living with two growing up is stupid. Living with three, like I did when I was growing up, is highly unhealthy for your social skills, emotional responses, and lookout on life. Four is a good way to get yourself killed. Painfully. But five? _Five?_ And calling one of them _'Aunt'?_ It's a miracle that you haven't completely lost your mind. And Zeus, two of them were death gods, one represents the river Lethe, one is a goddess that finds pleasure in turning people into potion ingredients, and the last is a very bitter Queen." Percy told me incredulously. I snorted.

"We are getting off topic. Are you upset with your cereal or the question of the Triton guy visiting you?"

Percy narrowed his eyes and threw his spoon at me. "It's the cereal, Nico. It's totally the cereal." Percy stood up and walked into his kitchen before continuing. "It's Triton. Before you ask, think about it. Triton lives underwater. He uses my Greek name."

It clicked. "Poseidon's son?" I asked.

"Yeah. I grew up with that idiot. Thinks he is better than me because I'm not an immortal. At least I'm not some half-mortal. If I was then not only would he have killed me and had far too much fun in the process, he would have mocked me at every turn he had." Percy confessed.

"At the champion's party, you said that you had been under Poseidon's guardianship since you could remember. How did that happen?"

Percy's eyes flicked over to me before looking off to the side of my face.

"My mother caught the attention of Poseidon. She had the Sight."

"The-"

"You know how our patrons did something that made it to where we can see the mythological world better than we used to be able to? They enhanced our already natural Sight. That is what they call it when a mortal can see the mythological world." Percy explained before sighing and grabbing a discarded tool box.

"So anyways, my mom turns out to have the Sight but isn't a champion. Poseidon figures it out and he reassures her that she isn't insane and in fact, has a very rare gift. He offers to help her understand it- not a good choice considering that I'm pretty sure that he was going to start hooking up with her and creating an illegal demigod- but she declines. I guess he wanted to ensure a backup plan so he made her promise to contact him if she was ever with child. Just in case her offspring had the Sight as well. Anyway, Poseidon had his current champion assigned to helping her understand what the Sight was showing her."

Taking a long look at my face he said, "If you have questions, save it until the end. I'm almost done. So my mother is practically being stalked by my successor and through it all, somehow they end up getting married. I know, random right? So Poseidon, the jealous god he is, kills off his own champion. Well my mother was already pregnant with me and once I was born, Poseidon killed her off too. I think it had something to do with her rejecting him all those years ago yet getting together with his underling. So here is this child that may or may not be able to see the actual world- though considering both of his parents could, its a good chance that he will as well- and Poseidon kidnaps the child and brings to his underwater palace, and hands the child over to Amphitrite." Percy then waves a hand at himself.

"So seventeen years later, you end up with me. Wasn't that a cute story?"

I laughed. "Fairy-tale like." I mocked.

Percy shrugged. "Whatever. Now you know my pre-life story. Woooh."

"Is every champion's life as weird as ours?"

Percy thought about it for a moment. "I don't think Pollux is- wait. Dead twin. Right. Um... Luke has a crazy mother... Beckendorf's family was burned alive right before Hephaestus found him... Rachel. My friend Rachel has a normal life, if you don't count the fact that she is insanely rich. And I think that's it. Wow. We are a group of really messed up teenagers."

Wasn't that the truth?

-100DIWPJ-

I watched as Ares entered with a new champion at the Winter Solstice; it was a girl this time.

"That is the third new champion for Ares this year. Do they all just die off or quit, or what? Wait. _Can_ we even quit?" I pointed out, tilting my head.

Annabeth laughed. "If only. No. It's like a gang or the Mafia. Once you agree to the test, you are a champion until you die or hit the forty mark. Then you have the option of dying quickly or having your entire life erased. By that point of your life, if you haven't died by then, it's a lot easier and kinder to just be killed quickly."

"Umm."

"The memory eraser... doesn't always work. Sometimes the charm is broken and you go insane, or you wake up and some guy from your past that hates you is suddenly trying to kill you for a reason you don't remember, and you can still see the world of the gods but no longer understand what going on. Not to mention that you have no history and can't really get a job anywhere without raising suspicion with the government. Besides, most of us don't have a family that we can call 'family' to go back to. Our patrons are the only family we have, a depressing as that may be." Annabeth explained a light tone of longing and sorrow in her voice.

"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss, Knowledge-Seeker." I told her, adding the formal name to give it sincerity. Even I could tell that she had lost someone to this life.

A quick glance at my face and a small, bitter smile crossed her lips. "I'm sure you are, Death-Bringer." she muttered, trying and failing for me not to hear. I resisted a scowl at the formal name I had been given so long ago and waited for her to realize that she never answered my first question.

I didn't have to wait long.

"You asked about Ares' champion, War-Bringer, correct?" She asked after a few minutes. I nodded, eyes narrowed.

"Ares is the god of war. His ideal training is giving his champion out to foreign countries as child-soldiers. This new girl, Clarrisse I believe, likely won't last long either." Annabeth laughed for a moment. "Poor thing." she mocked before patting my shoulder and walking away to mingle with other guest.

-100DIWPJ-

"What is the point of formal names if we just reuse them?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me. We were sitting on a trampoline at Annabeth's current house, waiting for her to get back from visiting the college she was hoping to go to next year.

"You want to know why each champion is given the same formal name as the one before them, or why they have a formal name at all?" Percy asked slightly bemused.

"Both. And what they are for each champion." I told him, frustrated that even almost four years of being a champion I still didn't understand everything.

This is what happens when your patron has social issues and the other guardian doesn't care about champion politics.

"Well, I don't really know _why_ we have them. I think it has something to do with identification. Same thing on why they never change. Like, you are Death-Bringer. I am Storm-Bringer. Annabeth is Knowledge-Seeker. One of my friends, Thalia, is Oath-Seeker. They all show you- or at least the other Olympians- exactly who the champion's patron is." he explained.

"Oath-Seeker?" I questioned.

Percy smirked. "She would hate you. Zeus is the god of Oaths. Despite the irony of that statement, it is true. You know Zeus' champion is Thalia the Oath-Seeker, Hera's is some guy named Jason, called Vengeance-Bringer. I think, but I'm not sure, that Jason and Thalia are half-siblings. It would certainly be ironic." Percy snickered. "The black and white risk taker, the older sister to the boy who only follows discipline and is golden and gray."

I decided that I could ask about those odd identifications later and motioned for Percy to continue.

"Oh, right. Um, Aphrodite's champion is a girl named Silena, the Pleasure-Seeker. I know it sounds sexual, but I think it was meant as laughter pleasure, considering that Aphrodite is sometimes called the Queen of Laughter. Anyways, Dionysus' is a guy a little older than me named Pollux, called Madness-Bringer, Hermes' is Annabeth's friend Luke, simply known as the Thief-Seeker. He's in college now we don't see him much anymore. Ah, Hestia's is a girl this time, and before you ask, no I don't know her actual name only that her formal is Hearth-Seeker. Ares' is War-Bringer. She is a complete killjoy. " Percy suddenly laughed.

"Apollo's champion is a girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare. If you ever meet her, blurt the name out before she does. Otherwise she will say it in the introduction and I will have lost quite a lot of money. They call her Prophecy-Bringer. Almost all of Apollo's champions are the new Oracle or at least linked to the actual Oracle. Artemis has had the same champion for as long as the tradition has been going on. Her name is Zoe and I warn you now; she hates all men. Something to do with Hercules. I honestly don't understand. They call her Night-Bringer. Hephaestus' champion is obviously called Fire-Bringer and his name is Beckendorf. Really cool guy, just... don't get on his bad side. And who else?" Percy asked as he started to tick the Olympians off his fingers.

He stared at his hands for a moment then snapped. "That's right! Demeter. Her champion is a girl called Melanie Foster. Season-Bringer. And there you have it. All fourteen of them."

I nodded, taking the information in and storing it.

"You ever notice how we all look like our patrons?" Percy asked, after a few moments. I slightly reeled back in surprise but then thought it over. Percy was like a mini clone of Poseidon. Annabeth had blonde hair, but had many similar traits to Athena. Hell, I look like Hades a bit to much for my comfort. After years of only visiting a world where there was a sun (and even then, it was always winter), your skin tends to pale significantly.

"Well now that you have mentioned it..."

"Yeah. It's Olympian thing. Once they take you on as a champion, your features start to morph slightly to look like them. I was given to Poseidon at birth, hence me looking like a younger him. Annabeth has been under Athena's care since she was about fifteen. So, only four years ago. How long have you lived in the Underworld?" Percy asked.

"Since I was twelve. I'm sixteen now. So a little over four years." I told him. Percy looked mildly surprised.

"Really? Huh. I guess since you live with him it worked faster, but still... I don't know. Maybe you were just born destine to look like Hades."

I threw the first thing I could find at him. My shoe hit his shoulder.

Percy just laughed.

-100DIWPJ-

"I really do need to find new friends." I told Percy as I walked into Annabeth's house, prepared to do whatever they had planned for the day. I heard the shower going from somewhere in the house and mentally noted not to go to the bathroom until I was sure Annabeth was done showering.

Percy grinned. "So you _were_ right! Cool. I'll have to tell Rachel that giving Lord Hades a migraine through Apollo was an excellent way of breaking you out of there. And Persephone?"

I shrugged. "It's Spring. She is visiting Demeter for a few months. Though I'm sure she will appreciate the gift later."

"Demeter, huh? How interesting." a voice said from behind me. I turned around and saw a girl maybe a year younger than me, with wheat blonde hair and a tan.

"Melanie Foster. Champion of Demeter." she told me, sticking out her hand. I shook it automatically, the manners Persephone had drilled into me showing.

"Nico di Angelo. Champion of Hades." I introduced myself and saw Percy raise his eye brows.

"Di Angelo?" he mouthed and I realized that he hadn't known my last name. Ha. I got my burning question over his name answered within the hour. He had to wait over a year. I do believe I win.

"So... you know Percy and Annabeth?" I asked. Melanie nodded, a small glint in her eyes.

"You could say that. Champion war and all that. Anyways, I just wanted to stop in and say that Demeter requires a meeting with Athena. I'll be on my way... as soon as I raid your refrigerator for something junk-food like. You have no idea how little of junk-food I'm allowed to have." Melanie told Percy and then set out to look for the kitchen.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Hey, you were the one saying that you needed more friends. So what if she is on a different side of the champion war? Annabeth and I are, and so are we. Now leave with her because I only made enough food for me and Annabeth." Percy defended.

"Wow. I'm not even here five minutes and your kicking me out? Thanks, really."

"Hush. You know that if I were to let you stay that between the three of us we wouldn't even have enough food for a light snack. And besides- Melanie isn't that bad of a person. Okay, yes, her patron hates your patron, but Demeter isn't the kind of goddess that would use mortal as her pawns. I think."

"I feel so reassured." I muttered.

Melanie walked back in, a bag of brownies in one hand, a bag of chips in the other, and a soda bottle between her teeth. Carefully grabbing the soda bottle in the same hand as the brownies, she said, "Did you just set up a blind date for me?" she asked, amusement glinting in her eyes.

"Yes. Now leave, take him with you, and I'll tell Annabeth that I was the one who raided her kitchen." Percy compromised. Melanie was silent for a moment, looking me over before grinning.

"You, Mr. di Angelo, are very luck that a younger Hades is a sexy Hades. Follow me." she said, put the soda bottle back in her mouth, handed off the bag of chips to me while she got the door and waited for me to follow her out.

I threw one last confused look back at Percy before the door swung shut in my face.

-100DIWPJ-

"So Death-Bringer, how exactly did you end up at Knowledge-Seeker's place?" Melanie asked, walking besides me. I glanced over at her and saw her eying me with curiosity.

"I got lost at the Champion Ball. Percy found me and somehow Annabeth found us when-"

"When Storm-Bringer's phone went off. I remember. How odd that it did. I know for a fact that had the gods been more careful about their affairs, Percy Jackson would likely not have even thought of having a cell phone. Monsters are attracted to technology, you see. But as we are mortals not some demigod treat, we are allowed to indulge a little more. Monsters hesitate before attacking most of us. They aren't completely mindless and suicidal, despite what many would say." Melanie theorized.

I scowled. "Demigod. I keep hearing that word, but I have absolutely no idea what it means."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "Really? Huh. I guess you wouldn't, seeing how you spent most of your life sheltered in the Underworld under the only faithful couple of the Olympians. A demigod is a being that is half mortal and half god. There used to be a lot of them, but Fate had some premonition that the world would perish in the distant future if there was still a demigod, so they went through and killed them all. Not even Artemis' band of Hunter's was spared. After that, the Fates told the gods- _all_ the gods and goddesses, not just the Olympians- that if any of them had a child with a mortal, they would be punished severely and the child would more than likely be born stillborn. Of course, Zeus decided to test this. He ended up in Taurus for fifty years." Melanie smirked and rolled her eyes.

"As such, none of the gods or goddesses have had a child with a mortal as far as I know. But after Zeus finally came back, the Olympians knew that they were in trouble. They used their children as a means to influence the mortal realm and didn't really know what to do without them. So they all took a tip from Hera and began to choose special mortals that could see through the Mist. And so the choosing of champion's was born." Melanie concluded.

"Huh. I wonder what that premonition was."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "You live with multiple gods. Ask them." Melanie tilted her head and then added, "Perhaps it was some Great Prophecy that was going to end badly."

"Maybe." I replied as we passed a flower shop. "Do you want flowers?" I asked, completely unashamed of my less than romantic question. Thankfully, Melanie just looked amused and took my hand before leading me into the shop.

After a little shopping, musing over the universe, and just random banter, we decided to meet back up in a week for a second date.

-100DIWPJ-

"You're pretty cool, di Angelo." Melanie commented as we walked back to the hotel she was staying at.

"I could say the same about you, Foster."

I looked over at her and saw her smiling that content smile at me. I glanced at our reflected hands in the library's window, and I smiled back at her. Maybe this relationship wouldn't be a complete disaster after all.

-100DIWPJ-

It was three months later when we were walking around LA that Melanie finally asked how I had became a champion. I had known her long enough, and she was my girlfriend. It wasn't like I had any reason not to tell her when I had told Percy and Annabeth the first time I met them (even if it was under the influence of nectar).

So I took a deep breath and told her everything from how my mother had died, what I remembered of the orphanage, moving in with my adopted family, running away when I was ten, living on the streets for almost two years, and finally how Bianca had died when I had lived.

Melanie looked at me for a moment.

"You would be uncomfortable if I gave you a hug. My words of sorrow for your pain means nothing to you, since I did not know her personally. A joke would be highly inappropriate. So I will apologize for not being able to think of something that would help you through your pain."

Finally. Someone who got it.

"Apology accepted. Don't worry- I haven't found that certain happy thing yet either."

A sad smile.

-100DIWPJ-

"For someone who lives in the Underworld, you certainly hate Halloween." Melanie commented, amused at my silent torture of this ridiculous 'holiday'.

"Of course I do! Don't you see what people have done to these once feared beings? Destroyed them! Their pathetic attempts to become something terrifying usually don't even match the actual image of what they were going for due to horrible misinterpretation. They stereotype spirits and other monsters of the Underworld. And do you see how these people fear the Christian devil above any other creature? And that they fear unrealistic serial killers and zombie as a close second? _Zombie's_ Melanie! As if Hades, Thanatos, or even myself would be careless enough to allow a dead body to regain mobility. And what is with their fascination of immortality? Don't they understand that just because you are immortal doesn't mean that you will no longer age? Sure, the beings that grant immortality usually throw in non-aging as a bonus, but they don't always go hand in hand! And why do people suddenly gain the power of gods if some creature bites them during a full moon or as a food source? The very concept that this 'holiday' is based on makes my head spin and disgust me." I ranted, uncaring of the entertained and slightly insulted looks I was receiving.*

Melanie was one of the entertained. "I am never watching a horror movie with you." she told me calmly.

"Thank gods. All the decent ones are still highly unrealistic and utterly pointless. Gods I hate Halloween."

"Now, now. Don't worry the party will be over soon, and then you will be able to return back to your home to live with the true terrors that you love so much." Melanie soothed, patting my arm.

"Good." I grumbled, glaring at a small child that winced before turning and running away. Melanie started snickering.

I was never attending Halloween in the Aboveworld again.

-100DIWPJ-

"So Hades is letting you out of lock down for the winter? That's awesome! Because Poseidon just gave me the mission to go to Long Island. Now, that probably wouldn't be a problem for you since you seem to be able to get here in Manhattan from LA in just a few minutes- it's kind of creepy by the way- but if you're going to be out all summer you should come with us. Annabeth is already there doing some project for Athena."

"Why Long Island?"

"It has the basic and/or advance training camp there. All champions have to go there at some point in their lives to prove that they are worthy of a quest. The centaur from Greek mythology named Chiron teaches us there. Sometimes Zeus punishes one of the Olympians with the task of helping the newbies. I have to go there so that Poseidon can show the other gods that I'm ready for an actual quest instead of just errands. Annabeth went last year, and that was where she met Luke. I don't think Thalia has gone yet, but that may be because Zeus is paranoid and doesn't like letting her off Olympus." Percy explained

"I'll see what I can do. Although Hades would deny it if asked, we all know Persephone has the final say in matters that pertain to what I'm doing with my life. She-" I cut off as I caught sight of Melanie. She walked up to me, waved at Percy, and slung her arm around my waist.

"What is this I hear about you leaving?" she muttered, low enough that Percy wouldn't be able to hear. I look down at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"No worries. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to go anyways." I whispered to her and then refocused on Percy.

"Like I said, I'll see what I can do. Anyways, as you can probably see, I have plans for today, so I'll see you later. Okay?" I told him, adding the question as a habit and not an actual question. Percy nodded in acceptance before pulling a card out of his pocket. "Just in case you can come." he told me and with that we parted ways.

"Are you really going to ask?" Melanie asked as I tucked the card into my back pocket, ignoring the fancy font.

"Probably but that would be it. I mean, it's not as if Hades doesn't already know by now. He going to expect me to ask and if I don't I could be risking some minor anger from Poseidon for lying to his champion. But don't worry. Persephone doesn't like me going on long trips away from the Underworld when she is still there. She can be a bit of a mother hen at times. I guess it's because she is pretty much stuck there in the winter with only Hades and occasionally Hecate and that she just likes the company of someone else."

Melanie snorted. "Trust me, that isn't it at all. Take a good look at the three of you and then remember that she is childless. Think about it when you get home. For now, we are in New York during November. It's cold and I can see at least two Starbucks from here."

Melanie dragged me along, telling me something to do with a friend of hers from her childhood (Katlin something?) who had recently tried drugs and how she (Melanie) was curious on how it would affect her system. I gave vague answers on the stereotypical 'Drugs are bad' response, but was mostly just thinking things over.

What did she mean, 'look at the three of you'?

-100DIWPJ-

I had slipped away from one of Persephone's 'shopping' trips when I saw Melanie talking to Lady Demeter. Demeter was scowling and Melanie just looked resigned, even as she seemed to be agreeing to whatever they were talking about. I decided to wait on the sideline until they were done discussing and then use Melanie as an excuse to get me out of shopping (though the action may backfire and become some horrible meet-the-mother thing). Demeter's voice rose sharply and I could make out the words, "Finish you're assignment!" before she seemed to disintegrate.

Melanie frowned at the world. I walked up behind her and was almost close enough to cover her eyes when she spun around. Her frown increased.

"What are you doing here, di Angelo?" she demanded, folding her arms. I blinked at her harsh tone and automatically responded with one of my own.

"What do you _think_ I'm doing? Is it no longer legal for me to wonder the streets of America?"

Melanie scowled. "You're just a freaking bastard sometimes, di Angelo."

I reeled back, surprised at her accusation. Sure, we had our fights like anyone else, but we rarely resorted to name-calling. over sarcasm "Oh, I'm bastard am I? You really want to go down that road?"

Melanie's face flushed with embarrassment. "This right here is why I could never let myself actually be attached to you, Nico. You like to pull secrets out of thin air that you know would have the most damage. You don't care what happens to others when you are determined to get something, and then you continuously verbally attack those you find lower than yourself. You have absolutely no respect for your patron, y-"

"Shut. Up. You have _no idea_ how much I respect my patron, his wife, and their friends. Don't you dare say that I don't. And what the Hades are you talking about, 'attached'?" I snapped, my anger swirling. Melanie sneered.

"Attached, Nico. It means to care for one. If I'm not attached to you, then obviously I don't care about you." And with those last words she lunged forward with a dagger she pulled out of her jacket sleeve.

I jumped backwards, making Melanie miss. She looked at where I had been a moment ago then to where she was now and her face twisted in frustration. I backed up a bit more as Melanie recovered. Before she could attempt to murder me again, someone grabbed her arms.

"Nico! Are you okay?" Persephone asked, her voice higher than normal, completely ignoring the struggling girl in her hands.

"Of course, Lady Persephone." At my words Melanie stiffened and dropped her dagger. Persephone seemed to notice her and spun her around so that she could see her. Persephone analyzed her for a moment then nodded.

"You are my mother's little pawn, are you not?" she asked, a grim look on her face. Melanie nodded, not meeting her eyes. Persephone pursed her lips and then sighed. "Okay then. Go report to my mother that you failed. And be sure to tell her that if she ever sends you or anyone else out to try and harm Nico I will personally rip them to shreds and then send the body parts back to her? Am I understood?"

Melanie paled. "Y-yes Ma'am." she whispered. Persephone let her go.

"Oh, and one more thing," Persephone said before reaching out and slapping Melanie across the face. Hard. Melanie cried out and put both of her hands on the right side of her face.

"That was for leading my son on, you little slut." Persephone finished before grabbing me by my shoulders and leading me away. I allowed it, completely silent the entire way home.

-100DIWPJ-

"You are telling me that my sister- you're mother- Demeter tried to have my champion killed?" Hades asked in disbelief.

"Yes. She had her champion- a Melanie Foster- enter a false romantic relationship with Nico. I'm assuming it was to get his guard down, but it might have been just to tear you two down a bit by having someone you trusted betray you like that. Thankfully, Nico talked to me long enough to confirm that while Melanie gave up quite a few of her patron's secrets, Nico kept your secrets. He said it was something to do with not wanting to lose your respect and trust. Nico slipped away today and by the time I found him, all I saw was someone trying to kill my favorite mortal. I did not kill her out of consideration of my mother, but next time I will not hesitate to destroy her or anyone else Demeter may send." Persephone summarized.

I sat in front of Hades' throne, not interrupting her, not adding any detail. Somewhere between the long walk back to one of the entrances of the Underworld and the meeting with Hades, what happened to day had finally sunk in. The girl that I almost allowed myself to loved tried to kill me. Persephone defended me like I was her own child. Lady Demeter wanted me dead.

I could feel Hades' stare on my back. He began to stand, and I immediately did as well, moving to get out of his way.

Hades turned me to where I could see both him and Persephone as they stood side by side, both in their human form. Hades was studying me with his black, soul sucking eyes, while Persephone was glancing between the two of us, her eye color changing at a constant speed.

Looking at the both of them standing beside each other, I finally understood what Melanie had been talking about when she said "Look at the three of you and remember that Persephone is childless." Hell, even Percy had commented on my strong resemblance to Hades, despite me only living with my patron for a little over four years. I looked very much like a younger Hades, though my face structure was oddly like Persephone's. From the outside, someone who knew nothing about us would naturally assume that we were a family.

Persephone viewed me as the son she never had. The thought was bittersweet, because I knew I would never live to be over forty, and she would only end up childless again.

"Are you going to be okay?" Hades' voice broke through my thoughts and I started slightly.

"Of course, Lord Hades. She is only a girl. I will be fine." I recovered and winced when I saw Persephone's eyes soften as she looked at me.

"I am going to put that to the test. I want you to tell me everything you learned on Demeter from that Foster girl." Hades' warned. I blinked, recalling information I had stored out of habit more than anything, and listed it off, utterly indifferent. I used indifference as a mask to cover up the pain and anger I was currently going through even though I was certain my patron and Persephone didn't fall for it.

When I was done, Hades looked satisfied. "Excellent. You did well Nico. Why don't you... take the rest of the week off?" Hades suggested and Persephone threw him a small smile while I looked on, stunned.

"I- thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now get out. I have business to attend to." Ah, there was the Hades the world knew and disliked. I gave the two gods before me a quick bow before returning to my room.

I was not expecting to see an Iris Message there, nor prepared to see Melanie's face. Just as I was preparing to slash through the connection, she spoke up.

"Nico, please listen to me! It's important. We need to talk about what happened today." Melanie pleaded. I closed my eyes.

"You tried to kill me. That's pretty much it."

"Nico, please. Just let me explain." I made the mistake of opening my eyes and looking at Melanie's haunted face. I sighed.

"Where and when?"

-100DIWPJ-

We both decided it would be safer to meet in a public place two days later. Out of everywhere we could have gone, she chose the damn library where I had decided that I actually liked her. As we awkwardly met behind a counter and the portable wall, I noticed that she kept her right hand in her jacket pocket the entire time. She looked terrible. Her eyes were bloodshot, skin drawn and pale, hair tangled. I noted the way her veins were raised slightly and wondered if she had finally given into Katelin's attempts to get her to try drugs.

"I thought I could trust you." So she was bitter and upset over something. I wonder what- wait. Hades had been talking about using the secrets I had given him soon. It seems that he didn't waste any time at all. And Demeter seemed to have put two and two together if you took Melanie's appearance into account.

Okay, so yes I took all her dirty little secrets and gave them to Hades, therefore putting her in disfavor, but honestly. She was trying to kill me secretly anyway. At the moment, the only I regretted was not killing her for her attempted murder and taking Percy up on his offer to travel with him to Long Island.

I laughed, albeit mockingly. "Melanie, haven't you got with the program yet? Trust is the most stupidest thing a person can give to a minion of Hades. It's what we do. We betray others and hold impressive grudges."

I was not prepared when she pulled out a gun and aimed it at me. From the smug look on her face, she had known I wouldn't be.

"You know, out of the seven sins, the level of hell that is most terrifying and carries the most agony is the level for those who betray." she told me in that still hurt yet patronizing tone of her's that I had finally come to realized she used only when she wasn't able to have something.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I've lived there for years." I countered, unnerved by the gun pointed at me. I decided to switch topics.  
>"I thought we came here to talk about you almost killing me."<p>

"Oh, grow up. I didn't even scratch you. And you know, last night I really wanted to talk thing over. But now, after facing Demeter's wrath? The time for talking things through is over."

A quick shifting of her wrist was all the warning I got as Melanie shot the gun. I didn't even have time to think of an escape let alone proceed with one.

The gun had been aimed straight at my heart but in that split second I had enough time to move slightly to where she only ended up hitting the right side of my chest instead of my heart.

I wondered if this meant that she had literally torn out a piece of me before deciding that was way to teen-angst even for me and I could always ponder the metaphorical and physical meanings of it later.

I knew I should be screaming in pain or some other cliche act of horror, (and with the white-hot pain that was searing through my chest I would likely either pass out or die soon) but instead a choked gurgle sound escaped my lips as Melanie walked away and shot a lighting wire, skillfully dodging the sudden rush of people coming to my aid, panicking, or trying to stop her from leaving.

I watched as a woman who was clearly in her late forties, early fifties tried to tell me something even as her words slurred together into senseless noise as my semi-consciousness descended into that awful death-bringing darkness.

-100DIWPJ-

Hades sighed as he looked down at me. I defiantly glared up at him. I mean, come on. He was sitting on a throne. A Gothic, sinister throne, sure. But it was still a throne put there for the sole purpose of showing the Underworld just who was in control. Or for this instance, to mock his pseudo-son. I suppose I should be thankful that he wasn't standing up and making my self-worth feel like even more of an ant with him towering over me at 10 feet tall, but I wasn't. I never did respond well to authority.

"What do you want me to do exactly? Give you back your life?" Hades sneered, his voice echoing off the dark stone walls. Taking the stone walls, the Gothic throne, and how the only light came from random candle's placed around the room, I was going with the theory that he had a serious love of all things creepy.

Of course, I was wearing the whole emo/goth look with the shaw hair to match, so I had absolutely no room to talk.

I shrugged. "That would certainly be helpful if I was actually dead, but moot point considering I'm still breathing. Sort of. I think. Possibly bleeding to death as we speak."

Hades just rolled his eyes. "You had so much potential. You were my champion for a reason, little mortal. It's all been wasted now. And for what? A fight with a angered girl?" Scorn and disgust were readily available in his voice as the shadows of the room swirled with his ever-growing irritation.

"Pretty much."

Hades glared for a moment before apparently deciding to let the matter go. "So be it. Leave. Go haunt someone else with your free time before Thanatos or Charon calls your soul back to the Underworld for judgment. The Roman demigods seem rather fond of ghost."

"I hate Italy."

Hades actually laughed at that, his mood switching instantly. "You are _Italian,_ di Angelo. Are you condemning your own homeland?"

"Yes."

The amused look never faded from Hades' face even as I felt him force my lingering spirit somewhere else.

-100DIWPJ-

I woke up to the sound of people screaming, crying, and just general chaos. The library I had met with Melanie in was now filled with a noticeable fog. Shifting to get a better look at what was going on, I realized what a terrible idea that would be. But instead of searing hot pain running through me, I felt nothing. Looking down at my chest, I found out why. What was suppose to be a gaping wound in my heart was smooth and unblemished. Not even a scar to show how much damage I had been through.

The fire I could now see was beginning to burn the counter by my feet, on the other hand, was something I should probably avoid. I scooted backwards with my elbows, jumped up, stood still for a second to let the dizziness pass, and began to scan the area for some sort of exit that didn't involve the flaming door or breaking down a strong oak bookcase that had fallen in front of the emergency escape exit. I pressed my t-shirt over my nose and mouth before seeing a glint of glass. The window.

Okay, so there was one escape option. Consequence of using this escape option? The fresh oxygen could very well fuel the flames enough for them to make something explode and kill what few people who weren't already burning alive or passed out from too much smoke inhalation.

Speaking of smoke inhalation... I scrunched my nose up and held back a cough that would likely kill me with the large gasps that would follow it. The window as looking better and better.

Risking it, I grabbed a slightly burned dictionary on my way over and threw it at the window, using my foot to kick out the rest of the glass. As expected, the fire suddenly leaped up, scorching the walls even more and what few people that hadn't been screaming suddenly started. Opps. Ah well, someone else's life for my life, right?

Ignoring the glass digging into my hands and the screaming citizens, I hefted myself up, and basically threw myself out the window, into the street below.

Thank Hades for one-story buildings.

Rolling to break the impact some, I jumped up and took a deep breath of air. I let my lungs fix themselves before I started running blindly, desperate to get anywhere that was away from all the smoke.

_Take care, di Angelo. Use this chance well. Not many people amuse me. Not all that do are gifted. Don't fail me again._

"I would give you my word, but as you likely already know, my word is nothing more then a string of syllables that causes mass confusion when events don't line up with what those listening expected."

Faint laughter rung through my mind, as I finally stopped running, only to find myself leaned against the brick wall of what seemed to be a Catholic church. Oh irony, how you and karma must conspire to make my life horrible and confusing. I took comfort from the fact that I knew Persephone was furious and would likely hunt Melanie down before she even got back to Demeter's protection.

I shook my head, not ready to go down that train of thought and reached in my back pocket. I took out the Camp Half-Blood's advertisement card that I had kept with me for just a gut feeling. Glancing over the number to see if they were still legible, I nodded in satisfaction.

That phone number would come in handy these next few days.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: O_O It's so ****_long..._**

**Thoughts? I honestly want to know if you liked it or not. I myself, did not. But that is my opinion and is largely based on the fact that I have been writing this for over a month and I'm sick of looking over it.**

**It's so utterly AU it isn't even really PJO anymore. Oh well. I'm sorry if this seemed rushed, but I have been writing it for so long that I just wanted this chapter DONE. Over. Finished. Whatever lets me stop writing it.**

**There are a few blurry spots that have contradicting myths (such as if Persephone ever did have children or not) but I decided to go with the most agreed upon myth. And most myths do say that although Persephone hated Hades, she was faithful. Almost all myths say that Hades was faithful to her as well. Its cute (or at least, as cute at Ancient Greek Mythology can be...) and something you don't really see in Greek mythology, so I went with it.**

***I kept thinking of Death the Kid ranting about this to Liz and Patti or even Maka. I giggled the entire time.**

**I noticed that the FF managers took out some of the words in almost every drabble and quite a few page breaks. Hence the sudden use of middle -100DIWPJ- instead of page breaks. Very sorry if you read through this for the first time and saw what are now glaring mistakes. They will be fixed. Eventually.**

**Next Chapter: Through the Fire**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	89. Through the Fire

**Me: Thanks for the reviews. Really. They were lovely.**

**So you guys know how I got Hades on the PJO FF test right? Well apparently I am a ****_Slytherin_**** Hades. Because I'm just that badass. B)**

**This is: Through the Fire**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Annabeth, Percy**

**Summary preview: Even the best can make mistakes.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

A woman with blonde hair and stormy gray eyes traced her finger over a picture's outline. The image was of a dark-haired young man on a beach, the waves calmly rolling in behind him. A caring smile was on his face and the woman's lips tug into a small smile in response, looking past the military haircut and the Navy uniform.

"Don't you dare leave me, Seaweed Brain." she muttered before setting the picture down and wandering back to her- to _their-_ room.

This was going to be a lonely year.

-100DIWPJ-

"We are sorry to inform you that Vice Admiral Perseus Jackson has been reported MIA as of 7:00 AM Eastern Time on October 13, 2018..."

The phone slipped from the woman's hand as the irritation of being woken up so early was replaced by numb panic. Missing in action? _Missing in action_?

No. No, he wasn't allowed to just disappear like that. He wasn't allowed to just leave his wife behind not knowing if he was okay or not. He made a promise all those years ago. He hadn't broken it yet.

He wasn't suppose to get hurt in a place where she couldn't help him.

-100DIWPJ-

The gods were ignoring her. Not just her, but every person who had expressed concern for his whereabouts. Some garbage about how the Fates had tied their hands on this ordeal and that was that.

Ares looked a little too smug every time she caught a glimpse of him though. Poseidon looked far too distant and Hades looked distracted, while Nico wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was steadily avoiding her.

Grover was off on some 'quest' and Iris wasn't taking her messages anymore. The US Navy hadn't gotten any word about Percy's whereabouts.

She was on her own when it came to trying the find out what the Hades happened to her husband.

-100DIWPJ-

The woman was dressed in a royal blue dress, a light matching jacket around her arms as she looked up at the boat currently docking the harbor that late September. Her sharp gaze scanned the crew leaving the deck, reuniting with family and friends they hadn't seen in over a year.

She never did see the dark black hair paired with bright sea green eyes she had been looking for.

-100DIWPJ-

A small fire was lit in her fireplace. As she gazed in it, she could have sworn she saw her husband's face grinning at her through the fire in some sort of twisted Iris Message.

But then she blinked and the image was gone just as fast as it had appeared.

-100DIWPJ-

Her contacts had come back empty. Her friends were either avoiding the topic or just as frustrated as she was. The gods were still ignoring her. The Navy had practically written him off as dead even if they said they were still scouting for him.

And after having over a year to find him and having the search come up cold, she was starting to wonder in they were right.

-100DIWPJ-

On March 23, 2020 there was one knock. Two more in a rapid repeating pattern. One last, hesitate knock. The owner of the house set down their coffee and walked to the door, opening it with a polite smile.

"Yes? What do yo-" the owner's voice suddenly cut off. A dark haired young man gave the owner a sheepish smile.

"Hey Wise Girl. Long time, no see."

'Wise Girl' blinked a few times. Stepping back to open the door farther, she studied the man's jaw for a moment before throwing her fist at it.

"You are a complete and utter bastard, Percy Jackson. Where the hell were you?" she demanded. Percy shrugged as he rubbed his jaw.

"Guess I deserve that one. And honestly? It's a lot easier to ask where I _wasn't."_ He told her making his way into the house that he remembered beeing newly furnished.

"I already know where you weren't. You weren't on the 'coming home' ship. You weren't at Camp Half-Blood. You weren't in Camp Jupiter." her voice dropped to an accusing whisper as she added her last location.

"You weren't here."

Percy grimaced. "Very true. But," he added on, tilting the woman's face so she could look at him. "But I made a promise a few years ago that I wouldn't leave someone I care a lot about. I try not to break my promises whenever I don't have to."

A soft sigh and 'Wise Girl' sighed. "You know I hate it when you make sense through twisting my words." she told him.

A short laugh. "I missed you, Annabeth."

A reluctant smiled crossed her lips as Annabeth replied, "I missed you too, Percy."

**-100DIWPJ**

**Me: Does anyone remember when I said 'someone coming back from war' plot that I ignored for Happiness chapter? Well here it is. Finally. :P Now, I barely know anything about the military, so the information might be a little off. :/**

**Thoughts?**

**Next Chapter: Triangle**

**~ Anna/ Bookover98**


	90. Triangle

**Me: I went back and re-read all of the reviews for this story. I still can't stop smiling. You guys are amazing. Thank you so very much. :D**

**This is: Triangle.  
><strong>

**Down to the last 10. O_O  
><strong>

**Confession time; this isn't a Tratie story. I was going through my drabble list, and I realized that this is the last T chapter of 100DIWPJ. And since this mini-series all have T names, I made this into a _Tower_ chapter.**

**Traite will come later.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Thalia, Percy**

**Summary preview: Perfectly awkward.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

_Three weeks later... _

"You have got to be kidding me."

Percy smirked as I threw my face into my hands and groaned.

"Why? Why do you enjoy interrupting my life with random appearances?" I asked, my voice muffled. Percy patted my back in a mocking-yet-soothing manner.

"It passes time. And you know, this time it is your fault. I mean, honestly. Walking around in public, hoping that the entourage of girls surrounding you- hello by the way-" Percy broke through his scolding and winked at the girls that had been walking with me.

A few high pitched giggles and "Hello"s later, I nudged Percy. He blinked before seemingly remembering that he was scolding me and picked up where he left off.

"Right. Hoping that a group of girls surrounding you would get you out of being arrested. I, the lonely victim here, am walking back to the palace- and no, Thalia, I was not and _never have been_ lost- finally tired of hearing Ares call me a coward, when I happen to see my favorite person of the moment walking by." he concluded.

I ignored the way the girls started whispering about how he regarded a god with such familiarity. "And leaving me in peace was too much of a chore?" I asked, not charmed at all by the silly grin he was aiming at me.

"Of course it was. And besides, you know you love my visits. They keep your life interesting."

"That's what you say. I personally believe that-"

"Who's your friend?" Alona- shockingly enough, the girl I had pegged as the shyest of the group- asked with a little eye flutter. I snickered and threw a hand over Percy's mouth.

"My bad. This, Alona, is Prince Perseus Jackson, son of Queen Sally and Lord Poseidon." I told her, calming my face into a serious expression and monotone voice.

Alona glared at me before turning her gaze back to Percy. "It's disrespectful to talk about the gods like that. No, seriously, who is he?" she asked. I took my hand away from Percy's mouth and stiffed a laugh at his indignant expression.

Oh yes. See the disbelief. Take in the way normal people dismiss your ancestry. Become speechless for once in your life.

"But-"

"His name really is Percy." I said, just so that anything he said afterwords about his real parentage would make him seem delusional. I got a rather mild glare in return.

"Okay. Cool. I'm Aloan. I-" I tuned the rest out, tilting my head slightly.

Percy was rubbing the back of his neck while Alona started babbling about something- the place where she had bought her shoes?- looking at me with mutiny in his eyes.

I smirked in return.

When Alona finally paused to take a breath, Percy grabbed my shoulder. "Um, yeah, I have to go. And take Thalia with me. Family emergency. Right." The awkward jumble of words from Percy's usually confident mouth surprised me.

Alona raised an eyebrow at his poor lie, but didn't say anything as he dragged me away.

What a great friend.

"Please don't claim me as family in public. It's embarrassing. And family emergency? The only family we share is what our kingdom prays to. If there is a problem big enough to call it an emergency with them, then the world is screwed." I stated calmly.

Percy blinked at that, and slowed down his walking pace, though he made sure I was still following him.

"Probably. Luckily, I only stopped you so that I could tell you-" I never did hear the rest of that sentence, as right then, a patrolling guard seemed to recognize my face.

He pointed at us and yelled out, "Wanted outlaw number 134! Ranked number 1 on castle priority!" Instantly crowds scattered, people panicked, and guards started swarming in.

Percy cursed under his breath and sharply moved me into a crowd of people that were going the opposite way.

"You don't know what you're doing!" I yelled at him over the cries of the crowds. I tried tugging the wrist he had grabbed out of his grip, but he just held on tighter.

"Trust me; you don't want to get caught by those guys without someone who can make sure that you won't be... injured." he told me, his voice barely able to reach my ears.

"I don't need your help! I've escaped the castle guards plenty of times." I snapped back at him. Percy just rolled his eyes before making a sudden turn off into a small flower shop. The owner opened his voice to yell out sometime; Percy's instant glare made him snap it shut and hide under the counter.

I kind of wanted to hide under the counter too. Anything to get away from that icy, hateful glare.

But then Percy caught sight of a vase and seemed to grin. "Perfect." he muttered before turning to me.

A quick flick of his hand and the water in the room seemed to rise and converge together. Percy peeked out the door, drew back a little and shot the water at an oncoming amount of guards. In seconds they were all frozen in ice.

Percy laughed in success and snapped his fingers. People who had moved out of the guards' way now held dreamy expressions as Percy dragged me back out of the flower shop.

"Is it bad that I forgot you could do that?" I asked, warily glancing at my surrounding.

"Considering we escape from a tower by you helping me defeat a dragon while I was controlling it's blood stream... Yes. Yes it is sad."

I scowled. "It's not like I could see what you were doing. All I saw was a suddenly paralyzed dragon that had been previously trying to eat me. And now that I think about that little adveture of ours, I realized that you were a bastard. A really cocky bastard that manipulated my emotions."

Percy laughed. "Thalia, think about it. I didn't know you. I didn't think you would survive helping me leave. I don't form attachment easily. And while I may have toned down my personality around you now, I don't like pretending that I'm a nice, obedient prince around other people. And you weren't so nice yourself, either."

I glared daggers at him, and ignored his last sentence. "You were just going to let me die? What the f-" Percy's hand covered my mouth, his eyes hard.

"I wasn't going to just _'let you die'_ as you so elegantly put it. I would have tried my hardest to keep you alive, and if I failed, well, that was just something I was going to have to live with. But you are alive, and you are someone I have stood against gods for. Don't think I would do that for just anyone." Percy removed his hand and I realized that somewhere in our semi-argument we had stopped walking.

I pushed down on the slight guilt I felt and instead poked his face. "That was sentimental of you." I told him then smiled. "Thanks."

Something flickered in his eyes and he shrugged. "Nothing but the truth, Pincecone Face." he said as we resumed walking.

Nothing but the truth.

-100DIWPJ-

"Where exactly are we going?"

"The royal palace."

I stopped walking. Percy looked back, one eyebrow raised. "What?"

"The royal palace? The _royal flupping_- I can't go there!" I cried out, waving my arms, as if it proved my point. Percy snickered.

"Of course you can. I just invited you."

I stared at him incredulously. "Did you _not_ just see what happened back there? Um, hello! Priority criminal number one here!" I said, pointing at myself now.

Percy mimicked the action. "Um, hello? Prince here, remember?"

"So? That doesn't get us anywhere! No one remembers that you're real!" I shouted. A passing by family gave us weird looks, but by now surely there were rumors of a mentally unstable girl roaming the kingdom.

Percy scoffed and muttered something like 'Not real. What do they know?" under his breath. Then he elbowed me.

"Come on. My mom will love you. And Gabe... well hopefully he won't recognize you. If we are lucky, he died sometime between now and a few years back." Percy cajoled.

I frowned. If I went with him, there was a very good chance that I would end up arrested. If I didn't go with him, those guards from earlier would no doubt arrest me. If I did go with him, and by some miracle didn't get arrested, I would have to meet the King and Queen. It was a triangle of bad decisions.  
>But...<p>

Percy was still looking at me, and his face had a trace of pleading on it. I couldn't just leave him. Not after all those random events we had been through.

I sighed and held out my hand. Percy gave me one of his brilliant grins and took my hand. "Yes!" he crowed in victory. I studied him and realized just how much he looked like his dad at that moment. And finally I found a perfect nickname to counter my (mostly) unwanted one.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain. You have the job of smuggling a fugitive into the palace."

-100DIWPJ-

"Percy?" Queen Sally asked, her voice barely over a whisper.

Percy gave her a sheepish look from between the two soldier's arms. "Yeah. Look, I know this looks bad, but I can explain! Really!"

I glared at him. "Last time you tried to explain something was when we were avoiding the guards. Now look where we are." I grumbled. Queen Sally shook her head slowly as if she was waking up from a dream.

"Do you know these two, your Majesty?" Soldier number One asked. He was holding my left arm, tightly enough that I was starting to lose feeling in it.

The queen looked between her son's face, and mine. I switched my expression from irritated to as innocent as I could manage. Percy glanced at me and broke into laughter. The queen's face softened.

"Yes. You may release them both. That is my son you are holding like a criminal, after all." she told Solider One, nodding at Soldiers number Three and Four.

The guards did so slowly and Queen Sally moved her hand, as to dismiss them. All four bowed and left the room silently.

Percy was then attacked with bear hugging by his mother. Percy blinked at the sudden attack, but then relaxed and hugged her back.

"I thought you ran away." she told him.

"Psh. As if I would ever let the servants get off that easy. No." he said, his voice in a teasing lit before pulling back and turning serious. "No," he repeated catching his mother's gaze, "I did not run away. I was sent to live in a tower, almost four years ago. The king, your husband, my step-father, sentenced me to die there." he took a deep breath and then forced a smile out. "I luckily met my father a few weeks later, and in the process over a very long period of time, I earn the respect of the Olympians. They made sure I stayed alive, and relatively sane." he explained to her, ignoring the way she paled.

I was standing off to the side, feeling highly awkward when Percy spun around, grabbed my wrist again, and yanked me to where I was standing beside him. "Almost seven months ago, I met lovely Ms. Thalia Grace here, and decided to have her help me out of that place. One dragon slaying, late night heart-to-heart, and trial of the gods later, we are here." he concluded.

Queen Sally blinked once. Twice. Twice more. And then sighed. "I should have known having a demigod son is never easy." she said softly and then gave me a polite smile.

"It is lovely to meet you Ms. Thalia Grace, whether you are a wanted criminal or not. Don't worry; I'm not going to turn you in. In fact, why don't you stay here for a few days? Let us repay you with the gift of the palace for a few days." she suggested. I nodded hesitantly and she finally gave me a real smile.

"Excellent. Percy can show you around. I.. have some matters to attend to with my husband. If you excuse me." she trailed off, bit her lip, hugged Percy one last time, and strolled out of the room.

"I told you she was awesome. Now, as for the matter of my favor- how would you like all charges against you dropped?" Percy asked, his eyes trained on the now-closed door.

"What? But- there is no way you can do that."

Percy turned his gaze back to me and I saw real, pure happiness shine out of them. "Perhaps not yet. But Mother can, and will if I mention it is my way of repaying you the favor I owe you."

I was stunned. It had been such a long time since my face hadn't been on a wanted poster. "I- thank you."

Percy winked. I squished down on the butterflies in my stomach. "It was the least I could do after the tower incident. Now come on. I have a palace to show you, daughter of Zeus."

Percy backed up from me and held out his hand. I eyed it warily.

"You are so cheesy. Especially for a son of Poseidon." I muttered as I took his hand. Percy laughed, the sound echoing off the walls.

"Well said, Pinecone Face. Well said."

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: And so, the series of Tower ends. **

**Thoughts?**

**Next Chapter: Drowning**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	91. Drowning

**Me: The reviews I get make me smile! :)**

**This is: Drowning**

**Freeverse! :) Nine chapter's left...**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Michael**

**Summary preview: You always did hate bridges.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

**&&**You were _losing_  
><em>(Oh so<em> **badly)**  
>Sonic arrows <span>only did so much<span>.  
>And you could still see your <strong>f a m i<strong> **l** **y** dying off as the monsters  
><em><strong>[closed<strong>_** _in]_**_**  
><strong>_.

Order needed: About two hundred **more** demigods.  
>Order received: <span>One<span> **invincible** Perseus Jackson  
>But <em>maybe<em>  
>that was <strong><em>all<em>{you}_needed_  
><strong>Perhaps he could save the ones you couldn't.  
>.<p>

Running across the **Williamsburg Bridge**  
>had never been so D.A.N.G.E.R.O.U.S<br>MoNSTerS on (_everyside)_  
>A quickly<br>c  
><span>r<span>  
><strong><span>u<span>**  
><strong><span>m<span>**  
><strong><span>b<span>**  
><strong><span>l<span>**  
><strong><span>i<span>**  
><span>n<span>  
><span>g<span>  
>bridge<br>**&&one step** _out of place_  
>.<p>

&&the bridge is  
>f<br>A  
>l<br>l  
>I<br>N  
>g<br>{_**Down, falling down, falling down**_}  
><strong>&amp;&amp;<strong>the bridge is falling down  
>into the East River<br>.

Child of the Sun  
>{<strong>Skies, warmth, daylight<strong>}  
>Everything that <em>identified<em> your parentage  
><span>Missing,<span> as you took_ one deep breath_ underwater  
>(Bad Idea; it's<strong> not like<strong> you're **_Poseidon's_** child)  
>.<p>

**_Drowning  
><em>**Never the most **P.L.E.A.S.A.N.T** of things  
>Caused by that<br>[_oh so deep_] breath of **w a t e** **r  
><strong>Although, it was oddly... _Peaceful_  
>.<p>

&&somewhere **_along the way  
><em>**You lost your bow  
>(<em>Your identity<em>)  
>&amp;&amp;became <em><span>nothing more than<span>_  
>[just <strong>anothe<strong>r casualty of W/A/R]  
>.<p>

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: This is what happens when I go from listening to Second to None by Chris Crocker then switch to sad songs. I do not recommend that song, despite how much I love it. It's a bit (okay way more than just a bit) inappropriate and I have a feeling many people disapprove of it. ****And it haunts your mind for weeks (sometimes months) after you hear it.**

**Thoughts?**

**Next Chapter: All That I Have**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	92. All That I Have

**Me: Wow. I loved the reviews! You guys are amazing.**

**This is: All That I Have**

**I don't own PJO.**

**May**

**Summary preview: You just can't accept that he's gone.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

So maybe attempting to host the Oracle's spirit hadn't been my best idea.

And maybe sometimes I would forget what just happened and see fear in Luke's eyes as he watched me with careful wariness.

And yes, okay, I couldn't cook to save my life, had a secret fear that if I didn't place the stuffed toys on the walkway, monster's would come into my house and kill both me and my son in our sleep, had issues with connecting with the world outside my mind, and was certain that the god who once loved me would come back one day.

That didn't mean I was insane.

It just meant that I have serious paranoia and a bit of a delusional issue. Plenty of people in the world can't cook.

Still... even on my best day I could hardly attach myself to what was going on in the world outside my thoughts. My darling son would often ask me the same question multiple times before I got he message and answered.

Luke was so cute sometimes.

"Kool-Aid?" I asked, walking into the kitchen, expecting to see Luke already there, having made some sort of edible breakfast. I frowned when he didn't answer me.

"Do you want me to get you some Kool-Aid, Luke?" I asked turning around, scanning the room for him. Nothing. I flinched before deciding to check his room.

Clothes were missing.

A strangled cry escaped my lips before I bit my lip and shook my head.

Of course Luke hadn't left. He probably just went to school and I had misplaced the laundry. Of course. Silly me, thinking that he had...

"You are all that I have left, baby boy." I whispered to myself, going back into the kitchen to make some new Kool-Aid. And maybe a snack for Luke so he wouldn't be hungry when he got home.

"He's going to make you proud one day, Hermes. I can tell." I praised while opening the cabinets, an absent smile on my face.

Maybe I would just dust off the stuffed toys after I made snacks.

Just until Luke came home.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: Thoughts?**

**Next Chapter: Give Up**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	93. Give Up

**Me: :) Thank you so much for the reviews guys! Wasn't expecting May to be received very well...**

**This is: Give Up**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Grover, Percy**

**Summary preview: Boys and their video games...**

**-100DIWPJ-**

"Just give up, G-man! There is no _way_ you can beat me at this!" Percy bragged, his face free of stress for once.

I narrowed my eyes and stuck my tounge out at him. "Of course I can! You're just scared." I taunted before quickly pulling my attention back to the game.

_Race of the Venti.* _Now there was a (semi)violent game I could actually enjoy. 20 car race. It didn't hurt that some of them were loaded with things that blew other things up.

And of course, my last comment made Percy scrunch up his nose in disbelief. As if the universe was in my favor, I pulled ahead of the first place car (Percy) on the last lap.

_Come on_...

"Yes!" I crowed jumping up in victory. Percy rolled his eyes, but patted me on the back when I sat back down.

"Good job. Now lets see if you can do that twice." he told me, a small smirk on his face as the next track took place on the screen. I groaned as I saw it was Percy's favorite track.

"Giving up sounds like a good idea right now..."

"Are you kidding me? Right when you finally beat me? No! Pick up your controller so I can press play."

"And laugh as you end up crushing me to pieces." I muttered, but picked up the controller with a sigh.

Percy didn't even try to deny it. He just patted my back again as we waited for the countdown to end.

I winced when a missile hit my car and my car was disqualified. I looked over at Percy, prepared to see his knowing smirk on his face. Instead, I saw how he was completely entranced in the game, not even blinking.

But he was also far more relaxed then I had seen him in months.

And that reminded me why I was taking a day off from being Lord Underwood and just hanging out like a normal mortal with my best friend.

Because that what best friends did for each other.

"Win. I see that you got disqualified awhile back, G-man. Terribly sorry about that."

"That grin says otherwise."

"Oh that hurt. Are you saying that you don't trust me?"

"Well..."

"Grover!" Percy yelled in mock outrage.

I laughed. "I trust you with my life, Perce. Just not when it comes to video-game victories."

"Good to know. I am assuming this means no round... whatever number we're on?"

"What? And give up now after being smushed many times? No way."

"I thought so. Round number I don't know, may begin." Percy told me selecting the next course.

It looked like I was going to be here awhile.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: Thoughts?**

***I have no idea if that is a real game or not. If it is- cool. I don't own. If it isn't- okay. Perhaps I _do_ own. Oh, and it's the Italian version of Venti. Not the Latin. **

**Side question: Have any of you guys ever been to Percy Jackson Character's Wikipedia? I know, I know, "Wikipedia lies". Still. I now know names! (Although Matthew and Bobby were not mentioned. I wonder if they will ever get the knowledge of their existence they deserve...)**

**Also: This is proof that this story is 'General' instead of Romance/Angst. I just love the best friend vibe Percy and Grover have at little moments of the series.**

**Next chapter: Last Hope**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	94. Last Hope

**Me: Wow. Reviews were amazing! :D**

**This is: Last Hope**

**I went through and added a bit more to it.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Thanatos**

**Summary preview: God of the gentle deaths.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

Someone in the world dies every 10 seconds.

Be it a newborn child, never given the chance to live. A depressed teenager, left alone in their room. A freak accident on the way to work for a mother with five children. Government ordered death. Gruesome murders. A fatal illness for the little boy in room 313. The homeless child you see everyday on your way home from school finally scummed to starvation. Allergic reactions not treated soon enough.

But those are just everyday occurences. Not to mention the huge car accidents that take up entire roads, plane crashing into a mountain, ships sinking during a hurricane, war, and natural disasters taking thousands of lives.

All of these deaths Thanatos knew and would know. All of these deaths had somehow been planned out carefully by his half sisters, the Moirai (better known as the Fates).

But he was not part of the Keres (his sisters of the more gruesome deaths) and sometimes he would allow the mortal to believe him kind. Their pleas, their cries, their hatred- all of that was listened to while he escorted the souls to the Underworld.

Somehow, some of the more desperate mortals saw him as their last hope.

_A heart of iron. Pitiless as bronze. Hated by even the deathless gods.  
><em>

He could never be what they looked for. A god come to save them, a being of higher power to give them one last chance to make a difference, a merciful teenager come to save them from death's clutch.

But he had no mercy and was not one to discriminate. Gentle or not, he was a god of death and a lieutenant of Hades. He couldn't afford to be merciful.

Because its true, you know.

Every 10 seconds someone in the world dies.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: Thoughts?**

**I know that Thanatos is suppose to look all breath-taking and sorrow inducing. Well I took the gorgeous and adult part of him and mixed it with the child Thanatos the Roman's displayed him as in their mythology. And behold; we have hot teenage wing-guy. Maybe a bit pessimistic.**

**The image I used is gnosticmedia (there is a dot com right here) / gallery/ d/ 2608-4/ hypnos-thanatos .jpg (Take out all the spaces) He doesn't have wings here, but it was the closest thing I could find.**

**Thanatos is the once being leaned on. Hypnos is the closer to viewer one.**

**Next Chapter: Advertisement**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	95. Advertisement

**Me: The reviews were awesome, as always. You guys are (most definitely) the best.**

**This is: Advertisement**

**Note: I went back and added a bit to the last chapter. It isn't much longer, but it does have some extra length to it.**

**You guys have no idea how much Writer's Block is affecting me. Ugh. _IT'S SO FRUSTRATING!_ By the end of this, I was literally pounding my head into the desk I was using.  
><strong>

**IMPORTANT:  
>This is: set in the world of <em>Starvation.<em> Drew and Percy? Good friends.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Travis, Annabeth, Drew, Will**

**Summary preview: Well this was unexpected...**

**-100DIWPJ-**

It was an advertisement that gave birth to the idea.

It was an invitation to one Rachel Dare's birthday party that allowed the circumstances to be perfect.

It was the fact that if anything went wrong, at least Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were there to fix it that let him go through with it.

It was going to be a very interesting night indeed.

-100DIWPJ-

Okay maybe she shouldn't have screamed at Percy.

And yes, showing up at Rachel's party without a date looked a little ridiculous especially since everyone thought her and Percy were "INLOVE".

Of course it hurt when Percy walked in with Drew of all people.

But she wasn't one to let something like that show and when she wanted to, she knew just how to work a room.

-100DIWPJ-

She was surprised when Percy Jackson showed up at her door.

She was shocked when he asked her to go with him to Rachel's party.

She was thrilled when she learned about 'Percabeth's fight.

She was smug as they walked through those huge doors and stunned everyone with nothing more than the fact she was the one on his arm and Annabeth was being a wallflower.

-100DIWPJ-

Asking Katie Gardner to a (more like _the_) birthday party was a bit harder than he expected it would be.

Waiting for her to respond was absolutely nerve-racking until she laughed and nodded.

Doing a small victory dance was probably a little overboard, but whatever.

She looked beautiful when he came to pick her up.

-100DIWPJ-

She wasn't suppose to be here with _him!_

She wasn't suppose to be laughing and smiling and acting like she was having a good time with some nobody from the Apollo cabin.

She wasn't suppose to distract him from his plans.

Then again, Annabeth wasn't suppose to ask him for a dance and Percy wasn't suppose to flat out ignore them.

-100DIWPJ-

Part 1: Dance or chat with everyone in the room. Accomplished.

Part 2: Get Percy's attention away from that soul-sucking girl. In-progress.

Part 3: Apologizes as sincerely as possible.

Maybe she should add 'Stop being charmed by Travis' as a part in there as well.

-100DIWPJ-

So she finally got Percy's eyes to dance.

And she finally got his smile to stop looking so strained.

And she was able to even get him to stop sending subtle glances out of the corner of his eye directed at Travis and Annabeth.

Her best achievement so far was when she got him to laugh a real laugh and was rewarded with a comforting hug.

-100DIWPJ-

He was forever in debt to Rachel for setting this up.

Their personalities meshed so well together, it was surprising that Apollo and Demeter themselves hadn't of gotten together yet.

And she was so _relaxed_ instead of stiff and proper like she was at camp.

He could afford to let this girl in and trust that she wouldn't break his heart in the process.

-100DIWPJ-

He had never really taken the time to watch how Annabeth's hair could catch the light and shine.

He had never really bothered to talk to her for more than a few moments, actually.

But maybe he could make it up to her by not setting the twenty llamas and twelve pigs loose in the ballroom.

All bets were off though, when it came to the fake zebra, because he wasn't going to change overnight.

-100DIWPJ-

Part 2: Failed.

Part 3 & 4: Willingly failed.

If Percy was idiotic enough to chose a girl who was probably charm-speaking every word to him, then so be it.

Travis was right beside her, keeping a genuine smile on her face with tales of zebras and what she should be expecting in the coming hour.

-100DIWPJ-

His eyes were mesmerizing.

His laugh was addicting.

The fact that he was chosing to spend the entire night with her alone (ignoring the part when he gave Rachel her present) was amazing.

The fact that he asked to see her again soon was thrilling (particularly since she had made sure to never charm-speak the entire night).

-100DIWPJ-

It was official.

One of these days he was going to ask this girl to marry him.

Her love of basketball and understand of how it worked completely won him over.

Hey, he could deal with her flower rants if this was what she was like outside of camp.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: My head hurts. And it isn't from the head smashing.  
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**Thoughts?  
><strong>

**It was kind of meant to be a crack-pairing story. Aside from the Katie/ Will thing because you see that alot.**

**Next Chapter: In the Storm  
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**~ Anna/ Booklover98  
><strong>


	96. In the Storm

**Me: The reviews were fabulous guys. :)**

**This is: In the Storm**

**I'm sorry that I haven't been updating much lately. My mood has been all weird and I don't like writing when I feel like that. I end up more angsty than usual.**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Sally, Poseidon**

**Summary preview: A story told in reverse.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

"Look outside, Mommy! It's raining. Can I go play?"

"Not right now, sweetie. You'll get sick if you go outside in the storm. You don't want to get sick, do you?"

Perceus' face fell as he thought about it before shaking his head 'no'.

Sally smiles and hands her four-year old son a blue crayon. They continue to color a peaceful ocean.

"I'm going to make the sun purple!"

-100DIWPJ-

"Congratulations, Ms. Jackson. You have a healthy baby boy. Do you have a name in mind?"

_One day your going to get a phone call, Sally. And it is going to be the police saying that they found the remains of your child._

_Perseus was able to make it to the end_

"Perseus. Perseus Allen Jackson." came the strained reply.

The nurse smiled. "Perseus. Like the greek hero who actually lived after his myth. Lovely name." Her skin flickered to a green color but with all the medication Sally was on now, she wasn't sure if it was the Mist clearing or a hallucination.

Sally attempted to smile back while blinking, but only succeeded in falling asleep..

She never noticed the sea salty smell that filled the room for the next three hours.

-100DIWPJ-

Blinking the sleep away from her eyes, Sally let her lips curl up into a grin and said "Good morning."

After a few moments of silence she opened her eyes completely and was rewarded with the sight of an empty bed.

Quickly getting out of bed and dressed, she peered down the hall. "Poseidon?" she called in a louder than normal voice.

No answer.

Walking into the living room she called again.

No answer.

Moving to the kitchen, it was hard not to notice the lone blue key hung up on the key rack. Her eyes flickered to the calender on the wall, trying to see if she could find an answer of why now, what happened to make him leave, anything at a-

She was starting her third trimester today.

Sally let out a deep sigh and turned back towards their- _her_ room.

Today suddenly seemed like a hide-under-the-covers day.

-100DIWPJ-

Running a brush through her hair, Sally knew it was time to tell him. Her clothes weren't going to hide it much longer and maybe she would get lucky. Maybe he wouldn't just drop her on the spot.

And maybe Zeus would have a sudden flash of insanity and become a gravy bowl.

Right.

"You looked stressed. Is everything alright?" She jumped at the sudden break in of her thoughts and spun around to find Poseidon standing in the doorway.

Steeling her resolve, Sally walked over, gave him a quick kiss, and said "I'm pregnant."

"And?" at her disbelieving look, Poseidon quickly added, "It was fairly obvious around the time you started wearing larger shirts."

Blinking she lets a giggle escape before letting it compile into full-blown laughter. "And.. and here was m-me spending hours in front of a mi-mirror trying to think of a way to tell you." she manages through boughs of laughter.

Poseidon's wary grin was reassuring enough and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You shouldn't have worried so much. I offered- and still am, by the way- to build you a castle. Did you really think I would have left you for this?"

"Maybe." she muttered, feeling like an idiot. He always made the best points to counteract her fears.

Poseidon tilted her face up. "Silly mortal. And don't mortals have ways of getting rid of a child? Surely it can't cost that much. Thought I do wonder if having god DNA would affect-"

Eyes widening with every word, she placed a hand over his mouth. "Are you insane!? No! This is my _child_ we're talking about!" she yelled at him, too horrified by his earlier words to think about what she was doing.

A face that had been heartwarming a moment ago became icy. Poseidon moved her hand and pinned it to her side. "Your point? Sally, that may be your child, but it is also a demigod. An _illegal_ demigod at that. Do you know what kind of fate that child would have if you were to let it live?" he asked, voice hard and unyielding.

"Something better than having not lived at all! Just because you made a promise doesn't mean that it affects me! And who's to say that they will have horrible fate?" Sally demanded.

"History! The Fates themselves! One day your going to get a phone call, Sally. And it is going to be the police saying that they found the remains of your child. Children of the higher gods don't have natural deaths and that death usually takes place before the age of twenty-five. You really want to bring that kind of emotional damage upon yourself?"

"Perseus did. Perseus was able to make it to the end. And even if he hadn't, that isn't the point. The point is that I have a unborn child depending on me to allow it to live and I will do everything in my power to keep it alive."

A long silence stretched out before Poseidon closed his eyes and sighed. "Fine. I suppose if Zeus ever finds out, I can always bring up his daughter."

She nodded stiffly and was given a wary look in return. "I'm not going to leave just because we had a disagreement of the status of your child. And I won't force you to get rid of it. Keep it- but at least promise me that you somewhat understand what you are doing."

The plea had her let go of some of the anger and while Sally was still furious with the man, at least she wasn't terrified of him. The tension went down some slowly as she nodded again.

A hand passed over his face before he said, "How long have you been debating names?"

-100DIWPJ-

"This is it. This is the place we are going to be staying at." Sally told Poseidon as we stepped out of the car. He eyed it warily.

"I'm telling you, it wouldn't be that difficult for me just to _build_ you an underwater-"

"No." She cut him off before he got back on the topic of 'Underwater Castle'. Sally had first heard the topic a week ago and was sick of it by now.

"But-"

"Here." She said, pulling a key to the condo out of her pocket. Poseidon automatically took the object and looked at it for awhile before grinning.

The blue key gleamed as the noon sun's rays caught it's reflective surface.

-100DIWPJ-

The glass of water shattered as it hit the ground.

"What?"

"I said, that I love you."

Sally stared at the dark haired god for a moment before blurting, "But I only met you last week!"

Laughter echoed through the air as said god laughed. "And?"

Nineteen year old Sally Jackson let out a disbelieving laugh and said, "And I think I love you too."

-100DIWPJ-

"Are you insane?" her best friend asked, watching her race around the room, looking for a jacket.

"What? No."

A snort. "It sure seems like it. You are about to go out in the storm that freaking has some pretty serious winds just so that you can ask a guy why he is holding a trident."

Sally paused long enough to let that sink in before shaking her head and smiling as she finally found a jacket.

"Then I guess its a good think I've always loved rain."

And with that, she left.

-100DIWPJ-

"Look outside, Mommy! It's raining. Can I go play?"

"Not right now, honey. It's cold out there and you would end up sick. You don't like being sick, do you?"

The four-year old girl tilted her head. "No... but I love the rain! Its fun and you get to jump in puddles!"

Her mother laughed. "If the sun changes colors then I will let you go outside."

"Then I will make the sun change colors!" she cried before running off to her room. Moments later she came back, and with her was a hand drawn _purple_ sun.

Twenty-four hours later, that same little girl was in bed sneezing.

"It was worth it." she told her father when he asked.

Somewhere underwater, a certain sea god sneezed.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: Thoughts?**

**It may seem a bit rushed, but I'm using borrowed time on a friend's laptop. Mine broke down.**

**Next Chapter: Safety First**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	97. Safety First

**Me: All I have to say is...**

**EPIC DANCE PARTY! 600+ REVIEWS! XD YOU GUYS ARE FREAKING AMAZING! I love each and every one of you. Yes, even you, random reader, that never reviews. ^_^**

**Dang. 100+ reviews _over_ my goal. Wow. Seriously- thank you.**

**This is: Safety First**

**I don't own PJO. I**

**Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos**

**Summary preview: A tale of Fate, perhaps?**

**-100DIWPJ-**

_Swish, swish, swish, swish_ went the spin of the weave. Clotho (the one who spins, the mothers whispered) pauses just long enough to hand the thread to her sister.

_Clack, clack, clack _went the clack of the needles. Lachesis (the allotter, the older brother informed his siblings) made one finally loop before handing the string to her older sister.

_Snip, snip _went the snip of the shears. Atropos ("Unturnable" they mutter, hate lacing their voice) gives her bitter smile as she ends yet another life.

"Just 151,337 left on the death list today." Clotho muses. Lachesis scrunches her nose and Atropos laughs.

"Thanatos must hate us sometimes." Lachesis comments.

"The deaths are only the will of Fate. Oh wait- we _are_ fate. I blame mortals for being so idiotic then. They really should put safety first, instead of their selfish wants." Atropos replies.

"Atropos." Clothos says in a reproaching way. Her sudden grin shatters the facade as she says "You know they aren't smart enough to do that."

"Foolish mortals." the three sisters say as one, sharing a brief smile, before going on like usual.

Swish.

_Clack._

**_Snip._**

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: Thoughts?**

**Next chapter: Puzzle**

**Wow. Three chapters left.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	98. Solitude

**Me: Majority rules. Thanks for all the encouraging reviews! :)**

**This is: Solitude**

**I don't own PJO.**

**Luke**

**Summary preview: You are capable of so much more.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

In the beginning, you didn't actually understand. Didn't understand why they were locking you away, keeping you from reaching the potential that you _knew_ you had.

You were quickly becoming one of the better campers when it came to training, and you were even pretty good at creating a strategy.

So when you got your first quest, you were thrilled. Well, mostly. It was, after all, a quest that had already been completed once. But then again, you could always turn the tables in your favor. Maybe you could finally show your father just how amazing you had gotten.

Coming back to camp after your pathetic 'success' and not allowed a second chance was infuriating.

Maybe that's when you started resenting the gods.

-100DIWPJ-

The clashing sound of swords rang through your head. Everywhere Kronos led your eyes, you saw blood, Celestial Bronze, and children fighting a war for parents that cared nothing for them.

They were truly idiots.

Kronos laughter filled the air at the thought, and it was harsh with the promise of cruelty. Enemy fighters flinched at the sound, and many even backed away.

It didn't matter. Kronos still made sure that any enemy fighter that crossed his line of sight was sent straight to Hades.

As you passed by a few of your fallen soldiers, you wondered if the gods mourned the children that had turned against them.

-100DIWPJ-

Then came the time when you wanted nothing more than to show the world just how different you were. Just how wrong _they_ were. Camp Half-Blood was nothing more than a delusional prison the gods created to keep their mistakes in one place. It was nothing more than a place for the gods to force their opinions on their children.

You apologized for inadvertently insulting Annabeth only once. The rest of the time the topic was brought up, you just smiled and pretended to have the opinions of someone you weren't. You watched as everyone went on about their lives, never seeing what was so _obvious_ to you.

You couldn't wait to leave this place behind and wake the Titan that promised you honor and glory and _the chance to prove yourself._

-100DIWPJ-

"In all honesty, I think you would hate the person I've become. Gods, I don't even know what I'm doing out here talking to you. It's just... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for letting you down, Thalia."

-100DIWPJ-

The war raged on around you, as Kronos made use of how well trained your body was. Backbiter flash through the air, a gleam of light foretelling death. Dozens of demigods fell as it swiped a clear path through the field.

You occasionally recognized the face below the exhaustion, blood, and dirt.

A hilarious prank you had accomplished with him, a night spent awake counseling this kid, a victorious Capture-the-Flag game shared with her.

_Forget about them. Without them you've accomplished so much more than you ever would have with them. Stop hesitating. Is this not what you awoke me for?_

Kronos dryly mocked me, easily cutting them down, despite my hesitation.

_Remember why you're during this, Luke. You wanted war? Well you got it. Now _stop fighting me_._

Your mind scrambled for anything you could use to refuse him. And then you remembered who you were and what your reasoning was.

Kronos was completely right. There was no way around that. So you pushed away thoughts of treason and resumed your indifferent guard over Kronos. After all, when it came down to it, Kronos was the only one standing in the way of bitter solitude and redemption.

-100DIWPJ-

They had called you terrible, hurtful things on the path to becoming greater. You had lost almost everything and everyone that had once been the only things you needed. You had taken on horrifying trials, nearly been turned on multiple times, given up your values, and almost had your sanity lost more than once.

But looking up at the grieving face of the girl you had promised yourself to protect, bleeding to death from only a wound you could have inflicted, you realized that in the end, maybe you _had_ proved just how great your potential was.

And that's really all you ever wanted.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: This drabble was based solely on _Wasteland_ by EarlyRise. I do not own the band or people associated with them. But I do own the right to my opinion and I can say that I love them.**

**I know, I know. It's not a very good chapter to make up for the missing one. But it's here and I worked pretty hard on it. So whatever. For right now, I'm going to keep this at chapter 99. Once I finish the story I'll go back and put everything in order.**

**Next Chapter: Puzzle**

**Two chapters left!**

**Thoughts?**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	99. Puzzle

**Me: Reviews. They are a lovely thing. ^_^**

**This is: Puzzle**

**Saying this is overdue is a gigantic understatement. I know. But life is a beast, my readers. A vicious, uncaring beast.**

**Shout out to: _Innoverse_ and_ HecateA_ for being the best Betas ever for a chapter that for personal reasons I will never finish. Also to _AtlantaJackson95 _for helping out when she could, despite her hectic life. Seriously. I love you guys. You're amazing.**

**I don't even own an iPhone. What makes you think I own PJ&O?**

**Summary preview: Life is a puzzle that we can only hope to solve.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

The Fates have a funny way of setting life up like a well constructed puzzle that you can only hope to one day solve. If it is meant to be, events will fall together perfectly.

-100DIWPJ-

The pilot's eyes widened as he noticed the plane system malfunctioning. He knew that the plane had been having some problems in the past, and that this was likely just a glitch. Even so, he knew how dangerous a glitch had the potential to be.

Half a hour later, they were having an emergency landing about 150 miles south of Lake Ontario. The local airport sent mechanics over to see if the plane was fit to fly again.

Two hours and a lot of angry passengers later, the mechanic told the pilot that the engine was about to burst. If he hadn't landed when he had, the plane would have likely gone down and kill everyone on board.

When the news was given to the passengers, many were hysterical and demanding a free ride from the local airport.

The pilot noticed a couple in the back, hugging tightly even as the woman was placing a call.

He overheard the end of it, as the couple spoke up. "... Sally that Mommy says good-night and that I love her. We'll be home soon, brother."

His attention quickly switched to the furious man in front of him, demanding an explanation that he didn't have.

Sharing an exasperated look with the co-pilot, he started repeating the standard line the company told them to use if anyone questioned them on things that the higher-ups would have to deal with.

-100DIWPJ-

Sally Jackson smiled brilliantly as the principal handed the diploma over to her. She stood tall as the tassel was moved across her hat. Grinning like a fool, she made her way back to her assigned seat.

Her eyes sought out her parents, finding them with pride and sadness in their eyes. She thought that maybe she understood. She was the oldest out of their three children, and the first to leave to study abroad.

The thought made her squirm slightly with anticipation.

She couldn't wait to start her studies in England.

She would miss going on the annual vacation trip with her family though. While she was getting settled into a new country, they would be down at Montauk getting tans and eating seafood.

She sighed quietly, but let her thoughts drift to another topic. It was pointless to dwell on things that she had no intention of changing.

-100DIWPJ-

"... I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." the preacher intoned, and Paul grinned. He swooped down and place a lasting kiss on his wife's lips.

"I love you." he whispered. Sally smiled up at him, blushing slightly.

"I love you." she whispered back.

As people came to congratulate them, Paul watched as his new bride smiled and thanked everyone. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

And to think, he would have never met this wonderful woman had he not gone to visit his uncle at the college she was studying at over her first summer in England.

Once the majority of people had come and gone, Sally turned her mouth towards his ear.

"I'm so glad that I met you."

-100DIWPJ-

Their first child was a miscarriage.

From the moment Sally learned that she had lost her child she had hidden inside her room, refusing to leave.

Paul had been with her as much as he could, but he was only one man. He had a job to go to. And while he wasn't by any means okay with what had happened, he was no where near as bad as Sally was.

People worried over her health and some even suggested she be sent away to have time to heal.

The day before she was to leave, Sally abruptly snapped out of her depression with a vengeance. She became involved with everything, started laughing again, went back to her job.

She wasn't happy, per se, but she was better.

Two years later, Sally seemed to finally heal as she gazed at her new-born daughter with her blue eyes and Paul's black hair.

-100DIWPJ-

"Happy 9th birthday, Selena!" Sally cried, tickling her daughter.

The crowd of other nine-year olds and her and Paul's friends clapped politely. Selena eventually succeeded in pulling away from her mother and happily started ripping wrapping paper off her gifts.

Thunder rolled in the distance. The sound was so loud that at first Sally had missed the weak knocking at their front door.

"Did you invite anyone else over tonight, dear?" she asked, slipping away from the kitchen.

Paul frowned and shook his head.

Sally raised and eyebrow but went to open the door anyways.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of a shivering pre-teen on her doorstep, his sea green eyes flashing as a strand of black hair flew in front of his eyes.

Rubbing his neck, he peered up at her with a sheepish smile.

"Hi there. My name's Perseus. You wouldn't by any chance know a place where I could stay for a few hours to wait out this storm, would you?"

-100DIWPJ-

The Fates have a funny way of setting life up like a well constructed puzzle that you can only hope to one day solve. If it is meant to be, events falling together perfectly.

People will still meet those that will make an impact on their lives. Situations will still call for certain sacrifices. Some choices only have so many options.

But together they are the pieces that make up the puzzle of your life.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: Thoughts?**

**Next Chapter: Relaxation**

**Don't worry about the next chapter taking forever to be posted. I've had it written for a while now.**

**:)**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


	100. Relaxation

**Me: I will never be able to let you guys full understand how affected I am by your reviews. Each one of them brings a huge smile to my face.**

**Thank you, all of you who have at one point reviewed, for taking the time to tell me what you thought.**

**Note: You should also know that I'll be going back and updating some of the older chapters. Some of you might have noticed that I revised the first chapter and added a short drabble to it.**

**This is: Relaxation**

**I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Rick Riordan does, though.**

**Annabeth, Percy, Thalia, Rachel, Grover, Junpier, Nico**

**Summary preview: Laughter filled wind, showing even the king's approval.**

**-100DIWPJ-**

It was a sunny day, on the summer solstices, warm wind keeping the temperatures down to a comfortable level. Camp Half-Blood was busy in an idle way. There was no war to be fought, no enemy to defeat (unless one counted mosquitos), and many of the cabins had been completed years ago. The residents were mostly doing chores half-heartedly, or flat-out lazing around. Even the camp's strict director was in an unusally good mood.

The lake was rippling, the Nymphs' trilling laugher ringing through the air at times. The forest was alive with mysterious creatures, all teasing the edges of the forest, but none daring to show themselves. The strawberry field was overflowing with ripe fruit.

If you looked pasted the strawberry fields far enough, you might be able to see a group of people, ages all varied. A woman with golden blonde hair (seemingly around the age twenty-five) was laying on a picnic blanket with a man around the same age, with stark black hair. Their hands were intertwined, and golden wedding bands gleamed as they pointed at passing clouds.

If you looked west you would find another man, around seventeen perhaps, who was sitting in a patch of unusually bright flowers, playing his reed pipe, eyes closed in peace. A girl sat beside him, using him as a pillow of sorts. Her dress and sandals were a tree green, and her amber hair was pulled up into an upside-down bun.

Off to the east side of the setting, a younger man was dozing off against a shady tree. His shaggy black hair covered most of his eyes, but the contrast against his pale skin and black clothing was hard to miss. As was the slight drool starting to escape his mouth.

Sitting a short distance southeast behind the young man, you would find a girl, no more than fifteen, with jet black hair, and a wild but noble air about her. She was chatting wryly with a woman with brilliant red hair and emerald eyes. The red-headed woman was vaguely sketching the scene before her, an amused tilt to her lips.

The hailed heros of Olympus were participating in a rare moment of relaxation, and enjoying every moment of it.

The next wind brought a hint of laughter, as if Zeus himself smiled down at them.

**-100DIWPJ-**

**Me: ****Writing this story has been incredible. It wasn't easy, but it was always gratifying. Looking over this, I realized that I actually reached my goal of 100 drabbles.**

**There are no words for how I feel right now.**

**I just want to thank you guys for sticking with this until the end, despite my random updating schedule and how strange my writing style got sometimes.**

**And I want to thank you for inspiring me to update, giving me ideas, and even pointing out flaws. I've laughed, cried, screamed, and been frustrated beyond belief writing this. But your reviews and favoriting 100DIWPJ made it possible for me to keep writing.**

**I love you guys. I really, truly do.**

**So for the last time, can I hear your thoughts on the chapter or story in whole? On your favorite chapter or which one you couldn't stand?**

**I'm going to miss writing this.**

**End.**

**~ Anna/ Booklover98**


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